Count On Me
by angellwings
Summary: Natella. Multi-chapter. Nate and Ella are getting married! So much to do, so little time. Follow them as they plan their wedding and as they deal with the chaos that comes with it.
1. The Proposal

**A/N:** THIS IS MY 200TH STORY! AHHHH! How cool is that? Do you guys know that I've been writing fanfiction for one fandom or another since 1999? I have. I had an account on here before this one called "EllieMae". This was back when had a music section. Anybody remember that? Just me? I guess I'm that old. Haha. Anyway, it's been a long (nearly) twelve years, but a _great_ twelve years. I have met so many awesome people thanks to fanfiction. I look forward to _many_ more stories, and meeting _lots_ more cool people.

Now, here's the deal with this story...

This is a continuation of a one shot I wrote called "Hunger". You don't _need_ to have read it before you read this, but there will be jokes and references that allude to that story so it might be a good idea. Also this story is a bit sexier than some of my other ones because at this point Nate and Ella are young adults who are engaged and practically living together. So beware of a few sexier scenes. Nothing major just a bit more than you guys are used to for me. Also, I haven't finished this one yet. I'm on chapter eleven right now. So this one will be updated once a week probably. But...if you guys give me lots of awesome reviews it might inspire me to write faster, and the faster I finish this the quicker the updates will be.

Also I want to thank _Element Siren_ for suggesting this idea. She sent me a PM asking if I'd ever thought about writing a wedding story for Nate and Ella, and basically encouraged me to write an idea that had been lingering in my mind for a _long_ time.

So here we go. Thanks for a great twelve years of fanfiction! You guys rock!

Happy Reading!

angellwings

* * *

**Count On Me**

by angellwings

* * *

_Chapter One: The Proposal_

* * *

Two years. It had taken him two years to get to this moment, and yet there was still a few things that Nate assumed would have been done before now. For instance, he'd _yet_ to meet Ella's family. Okay, so he'd met her brother once in passing when he came by Ella's apartment to drop something off, but that's all the contact with her family he'd had. Ella had been honest about why from the very beginning, and he believed her and even understood (to a certain extent) but if he was going to take this next step then he would _have_ to meet her family soon.

She'd met his family. She'd known Shane and Jason for years, and she'd met his parents. His entire family loved her. His mother had wanted him to propose to her before he'd really even started _dating_ her. His mother would be ecstatic that _two_ of her sons were finally settling down. Jason was only a few weeks from marrying Caitlyn, and now Nate was soon to be engaged.

Provided she said yes, that is. She _would_ say yes, right? There was no reason for her to say no, but he couldn't stop his nerves from causing a few doubts. He was picking Ella up at her place and they were meeting his brothers, Mitchie, and Caitlyn for dinner. His plan was to pick a quiet moment at dinner and propose then. He wasn't going to stand up and make an announcement or make a big production of it. That wasn't his style and he wasn't sure Ella would like it either.

Two ring boxes weighed down his coat pocket as he stepped out of the car, and walked the short distances to the door to her building. The door man nodded and smiled at him as he passed.

"Good evening, Mr. Gray."

"Tom," Nate said with an acknowledging nod. "How are you?"

"Bored. Very bored," Tom answered with a chuckle. "Very slow day."

Nate smirked at him. "I know what you mean."

"Slow day for you too? That's hard to imagine for someone in your shoes."

"Trust me," Nate said with dramatic nod. "This was the slowest day of my life. You know, when you're anticipating something everything leading up to it just seems to take forever."

Tom quirked a brow at him. "You're anticipating something?"

Nate fiddled with the boxes in his pocket. "Yes, very much so."

"Something major, I take it. You look nervous," Tom grinned.

"Do I?" He asked worriedly. He would have to fix that before he got to Ella's door.

Tom chuckled. "It's almost like you're about to ask _someone_ a _big_ question…"

Nate looked up at him sharply. "I—I—how did you know?"

"Been there, my friend," Tom admitted in amusement. "Scariest night of my life."

"Did she say yes?" Nate asked hesitantly.

Tom nodded. "Married thirteen years now. Never regretted it a day in my life."

Nate smiled and gave him an impressed look. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, sir," Tom said with a nod. "I'm sure you and Ms. Pador will be just as happy."

He smiled again. "I certainly hope so. I can't imagine being _happy_ without her."

"Good luck," Tom told him. Nate thanked him and continued on his way to the elevator, and headed up to Ella's apartment. He reached her door and knocked. The door opened almost immediately and he was greeted with a bright smile and a tight hug.

"Hey," Ella said as she pulled him inside. "I'm practically ready I just have to grab my sweater and my purse. Be right back."

She left the hallway and quickly disappeared into her leaving room. When she came back she had on a cream colored cropped sweater and brown leather cross body satchel.

"Good to go?" He asked. She nodded.

"Good to go, and I'm _starving_," She said. Her eyes widened as she said the last word, and he smiled at her in amusement.

"Good thing we're going to Olivia's then. We both know you have a weakness for their burgers," He said with a smirk.

She closed her door and locked it as they stood in the hallway. "Oh God, you have no idea how _delicious_ a burger sounds right now. _Especially_ after my day."

She put her keys away in her bag and then slipped her hand in his. His brow furrowed. "Was your day really that bad?"

"Not bad, really. Just stressful. Lots of deadline's and events coming up. There's the Golden Globes, The SAG Awards, The Grammys, The Oscars…I'm being flooded with calls from both clients _and_ designers. It's insane," Ella said with a sigh. "A night out with good company and good food is just what I need right now."

He squeezed her hand. "You'll be fine. You always are. You're _very_ good at your job."

She smiled and leaned into him slightly as they walked. "It doesn't matter how many times you tell me that it _always_ makes me feel better. How was your day?"

He pressed the elevator button and gave her a lop-sided smile. "Slow, very slow. We were in the studio all day which _normally_ goes fast for me, but today…it was torture. I feel like we were in there for _days_ not several hours."

She chuckled. "Well, did you get a lot done, at least?"

He nodded. "We got a _ton_ done today, actually. I was surprised."

"Shane didn't get stir crazy after about the fourth or fifth hour?" She asked with wide impressed eyes.

The elevator doors opened and Nate held them for her (even though he didn't need to) as she stepped inside. He followed in after her, and grinned. "No, he didn't. I think Mitchie's _actually_ improving him."

She laughed. "Finally, after all these years. Some growth."

Nate shook his head and grinned. "I think he's finally given up fighting her. He just goes with the flow now."

"Have you talked to Dana?" Ella asked. "Are they coming tonight?"

"Tess launches her tour tomorrow. Andy's taking Dana out to dinner before he leaves. She said they needed alone time. I really _don't_ want to know what that means," Nate told her as he continued to shake his head.

Ella giggled at the expression on his face. "That's sweet, though. I don't blame her one bit. I _wish_ we could have done that the last time you left for a tour."

He gave her an apologetic look and leaned down to place a quick kiss on her lips. "I wish we could have done that too."

Ella winced at the puppy dog look he threw at her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. Really. I understand."

"I know you do, and I love you even more for that," Nate told her. "But we _should_ have been able to work out some time together before I left, and it was _my schedule_ that kept that from happening. It's okay if that bothers you, Ella. I'll understand."

"It bothers me a little," She told him honestly. "But not enough to be a problem, Nate. I'm perfectly fine with sharing you as long as you let me be selfish every now and then."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," He said with a smile as he kissed her again. The elevator doors opened as they pulled apart and they waved goodbye to Tom as they passed him. The reached his car and Nate held up the door for her and waited until she was completely inside before he shut the door and moved around to get in the driver's side.

He pulled away from the building and once they were on the road he reached over and grabbed her hand. She smiled and entwined her fingers with his.

"Can you believe that two years ago today we were at Andy and Dana's wedding rehearsal?" Ella asked. "Two years, Nate. Time flies, huh?"

He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it. "It's been a great two years though, right?"

She beamed at him. "The best."

He smiled brightly at her in return. "For me too, El."

The rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence. As the restaurant came into view and he parked the car he could feel his nerves returning. He would be asking her soon. He put the car in park and didn't move for several minutes. Ella grinned at him in amusement.

"Nate? Are we going to go inside or are we waiting for curbside service?" She asked in a teasing tone.

He quirked an eyebrow at her and grinned. "I would watch that mouth of yours, Ms. Pador. You keep teasing me and I might have to find something else for it to do."

"Doesn't sound so bad to me," She said with a grin and a shrug. "You might want to think up a better punishment than that."

He laughed and leaned over to capture her lips with his. She wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him back enthusiastically. He deepened the kiss and for a while the sound of their kissing was all that could be heard. There was a sudden knock on the window and Nate and Ella jumped apart. Nate growled and turned to glare at the intruder.

He found Shane grinning evilly at him. Shane spoke up through the rolled up window. "You two gonna come inside or are you gonna fog up the windows all night long?"

Ella blushed prettily and bit her bottom lip. "Wow, Shane, thanks for ruining _that_ moment."

Nate rolled his eyes at Shane and turned to Ella. "That's our cue to go in, I think."

Nate opened his door and stepped out but before he could reach Ella's door Shane ripped it open. He scooped Ella up and gave her a hug before placing her down on her feet. "I'm so glad you're here! He's not so mean when you're around."

"Um, thanks, Shane," Ella said with a laugh. "It's good to see you too."

"Yeah, I know. It's always good to see me," He said with a grin. "But please, Ella, try and keep your feelings at bay. I know you're in love with me and all, but I could never steal my little brother's girl."

Ella's eyes widened before she rolled them and smacked his arm. She spoke up dryly. "Yes, Shane, you caught me. I'm totally and completely in love with you."

He gasped. "I _knew _it!"

"Nate," Ella said in a bored tone as she and Shane came around to his side of the car. "Smack your brother."

Nate grinned. "My pleasure." He reached over and smacked Shane across the back of the head.

"Ow! Hey! It's not my fault she's in love with me! I can't help that I'm irresistible!"

Ella laughed. "I'm _so_ telling Mitchie you said that."

His eyes widened in fear. "You wouldn't?"

"If she doesn't, I will," Nate said with a smirk.

"No wonder you two are so perfect for each other. You're both _evil_," Shane muttered as they stepped inside the restaurant. "Mitchie!" He called as they approached the table. "Nate and Ella smacked me!"

Mitchie gave him a knowing look. "I'm sure you deserved it."

"Hey! You're my girlfriend! Aren't you supposed to defend me or something," Shane said with a playful pout. She chuckled at him and patted his cheek.

"Only when you deserve to be defended, sweetie."

Shane smiled at her then and chuckled. "Fair enough."

"Jason and Cait here yet?" Ella asked as they sat down at their usual table.

"They're on their way. Caity, had a slight panic attack when—"

Ella interrupted Mitchie. "Let me guess, she lost her ring again?"

Mitchie chuckled. "Yep, Jason told her if she lost it one more time he was going to put it back in the ring box and store it somewhere safe."

"You'd think with a rock as big as that one she'd be able to keep track of it," Ella said as she shook her head and laughed softly.

"Tell me about it," Mitchie agreed. "I'm surprised she can even _lift_ her hand when it's on her finger."

Mitchie narrowed her eyes on Ella for a moment before she spoke up again. "Are those earrings new?"

Ella brought a hand up to the Tiffany's Signature earrings she was wearing and blushed. "Um, yes. Early anniversary present from Nate. A _far too expensive_ early anniversary present."

He rolled his eyes and placed his arm around her chair. "It's not like I don't have the money to spend on them, Ella." He lightly squeezed her shoulder. "Besides, it's not like they won't be put to good use. You haven't taken them off since I gave them to you last weekend."

Mitchie smiled at Ella. "Lucky, all Shane got me for _our_ anniversary was a poorly constructed rap song."

"Hey! I also gave you chocolate covered strawberries, and that fondue thing you _said_ you would use, but only _ever_ used once," Shane said with a teasing smile.

Mitchie sighed. "True. I thought fondue would be easy! You know I can't cook. I wasn't aware that it was possible to _burn _chocolate."

Ella's eyes widened. "You can burn chocolate?"

"Not just burn," Shane said as he patted Mitchie's knee affectionately. "Catch on fire."

Nate's eyebrows rose as he looked at Mitchie. "How did you manage that?"

She sighed. "I genuinely have no idea. I'm no longer allowed to cook though. I can help _prepare_ the food _to_ be cooked, but Shane has forbidden me from actually cooking."

"The less we have to use the fire extinguisher, the better," Shane stated with a chuckle.

"Hey, guys!" Jason said brightly as he and Caitlyn walked through the door.

"So, did you find it?" Mitchie asked immediately as the two began to sit down.

Caitlyn blushed. "Yes."

"It was in the pocket of her jeans in her hamper," Jason said as he gave Caitlyn a stern glare.

"I swear I did not take it off and stick it in my pocket! I don't know _how_ it got there, I promise!" She said in a miserable apologetic tone. Jason laughed and pulled her to him to place a kiss on her forehead.

"I know, Caity, I know," He said with a chuckle.

She buried her head in her hands and leaned her elbows on the table. "Why can't I keep this thing on my finger? I'm seriously considering wrapping tape around it to keep it in place."

Ella smirked at her. "You might be able to make that look work for you."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. It will be the _height_ of fashion."

The waitress walked over then and took their drink orders. They went ahead and ordered food as well. They all knew what they wanted. They got the same thing every time they came to Olivia's.

"That food better come fast, I'm starving," Ella told them.

"I bet you're grateful there's no cold spinach bisque," Caitlyn said with a laugh.

Ella grimaced. "Or mushrooms in garlic butter. Seriously, what were Andy's parents thinking? _Gross_."

Nate laughed softly at her. "Everyone _else_ seemed to enjoy it."

"Then I guess I was the only _sane_ person there that night," Ella said with a teasing glare.

"That's possible," Nate agreed with a wink.

"Caity, please tell me your wedding involves _normal_ food?" Ella asked.

Caitlyn grinned. "International buffet. There's gonna be food from as many different countries as I could find."

Ella's eyes widened. "Now _that_ I can work with."

"And I'm pretty sure Mrs. Gray is not a 'fancy food' person, so you should be safe for the rehearsal dinner too," Caitlyn said with a laugh. "No worries, Ella. You'll be able to eat. It's not like Nate won't run out and get you something if you can't find anything you like at the wedding."

"I would try and object to that," Nate said with a small smile. "But it's true. Ella's help-me-I'm-suffering-and-pathetic face gets me every time."

Ella laughed and nudged his leg with hers. "Good to know I have you trained."

And, then, just like that, the table was lost in wedding talk. Caitlyn and Jason were down to two weeks before their wedding. It was what _most_ of the talk in their circle of friends was centered around lately. Nate decided that _this_ was the time. While the other four were distracted by wedding details. He pulled out the cube shaped box from his pocket and slid it across the table to Ella. She gave him a startled look, and glanced between him and the box for several minutes.

"Nate," She said quietly. "You bought me _another_ present? _Really_, it's too much."

He brought the hand that wasn't on the back of her chair up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Just open it. You'll see."

She sighed and gave him a stern glare as she opened the box. "Fine, but no more presents, okay? Not for this year anyway, you've spent _too much_ money on me already."

She stared down at the gold curvy ring curiously. Her brow furrowed as she pulled it out of the box and twisted it around. He held his breath as he watched her. His eyes stayed on her, and he knew the moment she spotted the first letter. He could see when she finally began to understand that the curves were cursive letters. Cursive letters that spelled "Marry Me." He watched as she read them each one by one. It was probably weird to most people, to use a ring to give a girl _another_ ring, but he'd seen it at the jewelers and _couldn't _resist. It had struck him as something Ella would love, and he just _knew_ he had to make it part of his proposal.

Her eyes widened and she gasped before turning to look at him with watery eyes. "Nate, what…what is this?"

He smiled warmly and brought his lips to her ear so he could whisper. "What does it look like, Ella?"

"A—are you…_proposing_?" She asked softly as she pulled back to look at him.

His smile stayed put and he nodded. "Marry me, Ella. Let's start a life together just _me_ and _you_." He placed a kiss to her temple before adding softly, "Please?"

"I—I…_yes_," She said as she reached up and gently cupped his cheek with her hand. "_Yes_, nothing would make me happier."

He let out the breath he'd been holding and reached back into his pocket. "Good," he said as he turned his head so he could kiss the palm of her hand. "Now you get the _real_ ring."

"There's _another_ ring?"

He laughed. "You didn't honestly think I'd give you an engagement ring that _didn't_ have a diamond on it, did you?"

She chuckled. "Never had anyone propose to me before, Nate. I'm not sure _what_ to think."

He pulled out the second ring box and opened it. He slipped the ring onto the ring finger on her left hand. "_That's_ the real ring."

She stared at it for a long moment. The band was half yellow gold and half white gold, there was a large square diamond in the middle and little rectangular diamonds on either side of it. It was beautiful. _Perfect_. She turned back to Nate with a bright smile on her face and grazed her thumb across his cheek lightly. She placed a long soft kiss on his lips and then brought her left hand up to his other cheek.

"I love you, Nate. The ring is beautiful. Thank you."

"I love you too," He said as he leaned down and kissed her quickly once again. "And the ring is beautiful because it reminded me of you."

At that moment, Ella really wanted to kiss him senseless, but they were in a public place with friends. Not quite appropriate for that sort of thing, but she did kiss him deeply once more and she could feel through that kiss that she wasn't the only one who wanted to _keep_ kissing. She pulled away and reached for the other ring he'd given her. She slipped it on in front of the diamond ring, and then kissed the corner of his mouth.

"I'm going to wear them both. They're _both_ amazing rings," She told him with yet another bright smile. He kissed her cheek before he spoke.

"I'm glad you like them."

"Um," Caitlyn said suddenly in a teasing tone. "Should we leave? Let you two have your privacy?"

Jason chuckled. "Yeah, what are you two doing over there? If you keep kissing like that I think that mother sitting across from us is going to cover her son's eyes."

Ella gave Nate a look that clearly asked if they should tell them and Nate nodded. They would see the ring at some point before they left so they might as well tell them now. But instead of _telling _them Ella rested her left elbow on the table and then placed her chin in her hand. She pointed the front of her fingers toward their friends and smirked at them.

Mitchie and Caitlyn gasped, but didn't say anything.

Ella giggled before she spoke. "Oh, you know, no biggie. Nate just proposed, that's all."


	2. Telling the Grays

Chapter Two: Telling the Grays

* * *

Ella could feel sleep slipping away from her. White natural light hit her face, and she groaned. Her bed was warm and the air was cold. She really just wanted to stay right where she was. She felt one of her hands being lifted from where it rested, and then she felt a soft kiss being placed on her palm. She sighed happily and the corners of her mouth turned upward.

She snuggled deeper into Nate's warm body as it rested next to her. She felt his chest vibrate with a quiet chuckle, and a few minutes later he placed another kiss on the back of her wrist. She shivered a little when he continued to kiss up her arm. She let out a tortured whimper and finally opened her eyes.

"Alright, alright. I'm awake," she told him with a large sleepy smile.

"Good morning, the future Mrs. Nate Gray," He said as he pressed a kiss to her lips. She smiled against his lips before responding. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. They shifted until they were both laying on their sides facing each other. Nate's arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her against him as he deepened the kiss. Nate pushed her back into the mattress until he was practically lying on top of her. She slipped her fingers into his hair and he could feel the metal of her rings against his scalp. He pulled back and smiled at her before bringing his lips back to hers and kissing her even more thoroughly. He placed one last kiss on her lips before he pulled away again.

Ella's cheeks were flushed and her lips were swollen and pink. She laughed and played with the dog tags around his neck as she spoke. "Could you wake me up like that every morning? I prefer that to my alarm clock."

He smiled warmly and kissed her forehead. "I'll see what I can do."

Ella ran her left hand through her hair and then smiled again when her eyes landed on her two new rings. "We're engaged. Oh my God. We're gonna get married."

Nate laughed and lay back onto the bed. He pulled her toward him to rest her head on his chest. "Yes, we're going to get married. There's going to be a wedding and you're going to have a white dress. Did you just now remember that?"

She laughed with him and took his left hand in her right. She laced her fingers through his. "I remembered. It's just finally hitting me that this is real. For a split second when I woke up I thought I'd dreamed it. But now I know I didn't, and we're _actually_ going to get married."

"So," Nate said as he kissed the top of her head. "I was thinking we should probably tell our families as soon as possible before the press gets wind of this."

Ella nodded against his chest and spoke up hesitantly. "You're right. You're totally right."

"And we should tell them in person," Nate said as he gave her a pointed look. She cringed and buried her face into his chest. Her words were muffled when she spoke up again.

"In person? Do we _have_ to? Can't I just call them and leave them voice mails about it?"

"Ella…you realize I _still_ haven't met them, right? I'd rather my first time meeting them _not_ be at our _wedding_," Nate said in a stern tone.

She pulled her face out of chest to look at him with wide eyes. "Nate, it's not that I don't want _them_ to meet _you_. It's that I don't want _you_ to meet _them_."

He rubbed her back and shook his head. "Why? What would happen that would be so terrible?"

"Well, let's see, my father could show up buzzed and accuse you of trying to take me away from him and my mother could mutter hateful things about you under her breath every time you spoke. That's what could happen. I don't want to put you through that—"

"I don't care. Ella, they're a part of your life which means pretty soon they'll be a part of _our_ life. I should meet them."

She sighed in resignation. "Fine, I'll call them and set up a dinner. Well, two _separate_ dinners. I love you, but there's no way I'm putting my parents in the same room until I _absolutely_ have to."

"And your brother?" Nate asked.

Ella nodded. "I'll invite him to whatever night we have dinner with mom. We'll need him there, trust me. What about your family?"

He grinned. "I set up a family dinner last week for tonight."

"Before you even proposed?" Ella asked in amusement.

"Yes, I had an advantage you didn't…I _knew_ I was going to ask," He said with a teasing smirk.

"But you didn't know that I would say yes," Ella said as she squeezed his hand.

"I was trying to be optimistic."

She laughed. "That's new for you."

"Tell me about it," He said with a chuckle. "I think I picked it up from you."

She smiled at him. "Good. So, then, dinner with your parents tonight?"

He nodded. "Plus Jason, Caitlyn, Shane, Mitchie and Uncle Brown. I told mom I would make reservations, but she insisted on cooking."

Ella grinned. "And you honestly expected otherwise? Your mom loves to cook for all of you."

He shrugged. "I didn't really think about it."

Ella rolled her eyes and chuckled. "I should call her, and see if she wants me to bring anything. Maybe I can bring dessert or something."

Ella tried to sit up but Nate tightened his arm around her and held her in place. "Where are you going?'

She shook her head at him and smiled. "I have phone calls to make, _apparently_."

"Do you have to make them _right now_?" He asked with a pout.

"Oh God, don't pout," She said with a groan. "I really _hate_ Jason for teaching you that." He continued to pout and she huffed. "Fine, thirty more minutes, but then I _really_ need to make those phone calls."

"Deal," He said as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

* * *

"Really, Mrs. Gray, it's no trouble—Oh, um, sure. _Vicky_ it is then."

Nate smiled to himself as he listened to Ella's phone call with his mother. He pulled on his button up flannel shirt and joined Ella at her dining room table.

"Yes, I'm sure. I have no problem bringing dessert," Ella repeated. "Okay, great—Yes, Nate's here." She paused and nodded to herself. "Of course, hold on one second." She held her phone out to him. "Your mother wants to talk to you."

He nodded and took the phone. "Hey, mom."

"Good morning, sweetie. Now, Ella offered to bring dessert. Don't you let her go to too much trouble, alright? It is perfectly acceptable to pick up a ready made dessert from the store. I don't want her slaving over it too much."

He laughed. "Mom, you're making a huge dinner for nine people and you're worried about Ella going out of her way to make _dessert_?"

"She's going to be our _guest_ tonight, Nate. She shouldn't have to do too much."

"Mom, I love you, but you're insane."

"Just do it, Nathaniel."

He chuckled. "Yes, ma'am."

"And Nathaniel?"

"Hm?"

"Marry this one, okay?"

He laughed loudly and nodded before speaking. "Okay."

"See you tonight, sweetie. Love you."

"Love you too, mom."

"Give Ella my love. We'll see you both tonight."

"Will do. See you at seven," Nate said as he hung up. He handed Ella back her phone and grinned at her. "My mother says I'm to make sure you bring a store bought dessert so that you don't kill yourself preparing something home made."

Ella laughed and shook her head. "I really _do_ love your mother. She's adorable."

"Believe me, she loves you too. She may love _you_ more than she loves me."

"Good then maybe _your _parents will be excited about the wedding. I don't think mine will be at all," Ella said with a sigh. "Speaking of, that's the next phone call on my list."

"Okay, while you work on that, I'll make breakfast."

Ella quirked a brow at him. "You'll _make_ breakfast?"

He sighed. "Alright, so my plan was to pick it up from the diner down the street and _tell_ you I made it, but either way…its breakfast."

"If you're going to the diner I want the bacon and cheese omelet," Ella said with a laugh. "And thank you in advance."

He smirked and kissed her quickly before he grabbed his coat and walked out the door. Ella took a deep breath and dialed her brother's number first. It didn't take long to clear things with him. He was free any night in the next four days. She told him she would call him back and then called her father. The phone rang four times before he finally answered.

"Ella-Bell, what do you need?"

She smiled warmly. "Hi, daddy. Are you free in the next four days?"

"For what?"

"Dinner at my apartment. I'll make your favorite."

"Mac-n-cheese with the little hot dog slices?"

Ella laughed before she answered. "Sure, if that's your favorite."

"Well, I have tour rehearsals tonight and tomorrow night, but I believe the band has a night off on Sunday. Is that good for you?"

"That's perfect, dad. We'll see you Sunday at six, okay?"

"We?" He asked curiously.

"Nate's gonna be there too. I've told you about him."

"Ah, yes. The guy from Connect Three. You've mentioned him quite a few times actually," Her dad said with a sigh.

"That's because I love him, daddy," She said with a grin. "_Of course_, he'd come up in conversation."

"I understand, Princess. Alright, well then I suppose I'm up for meeting him. I'll be there at six on the dot," Her father said reluctantly.

"Thank you. Love you," Ella told him.

"Love you too, Ella-Bell. See you Sunday," Van Pador said as he hung up.

One parent down, one more to go. She dialed the number before she let herself chicken out. Her mother answered immediately.

"Hello, Ella."

"Mom," Ella said nervously. "How are you?"

"Fine, dear. Is there a particular reason for this call? I have a meeting in a few minutes."

"Oh," She said with a gulp. "Um, yes. It won't take long. I promise. I need to know if you're free for dinner sometime over the next four days."

"Let me check my schedule," Her mother said with a huff. "Okay, It looks like I'm free Monday night. Is seven alright?"

"Yes, Monday night at seven is perfect."

"Alright, I've got you penciled in. What's this about anyway? Is this about that _rockstar_ of yours that I haven't met yet?"

Ella bit her bottom lip before she answered. "Yes."

"You want me to meet him. Ella, you know how I feel about your dat—"

"I _know_, mother. You've made it perfectly clear, but you should _still_ meet him. For _me_. Please?"

"Well, of course I'm going to meet him. Just don't expect one dinner to change my mind, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Is Tyler joining us?"

"Yes, I just need to call him back with a time."

"Fine, then I'll see you and your _friend_ on Monday. Talk to you later, Ella. Love you."

"Love you too, mom. Bye."

Ella sighed in relief as she hung up. She called her brother and informed him of when their mother had agreed to come to dinner. He agreed that he would be there as well. She hung up with him and was very glad that was done.

Now she just had to worry about the _actual_ dinners. But she still had a couple of days before then. Right now, she needed to focus on making enough dessert for nine people. She stood from the table and searched through her cabinets until she found a box of red velvet cake mix and a canister of cream cheese icing. That would do the trick. She checked to make sure she had all the ingredients she needed before she started to work on the cake. She'd just finished buttering the cake pans when she heard her door open. She poked her head out into the living room just as Nate reached it.

"Hey," She said brightly.

He smiled and entered the kitchen. "Hello. Did you finish calling your family?"

"Yep," She told him as she pulled out a mixing bowl and began to work on the batter. "Dad's coming over Sunday night, and Mom and Tyler will be over Monday night."

"So, then we have Saturday to ourselves?" Nate asked with a smirk.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Why? Do you have something in mind?"

He shrugged. "Just thought we could have a bit more time to ourselves before all the craziness starts. That's all."

She smiled and nodded in agreement. "We can do that. Movie night?"

"If that means we stay in and enjoy the quiet then definitely yes."

"Then a movie night it is. Tess let me borrow her copy of _Up_. I still haven't watched it yet. Is that okay with you?" She asked as she dug around for her mixer.

"Whatever you want, El," Nate said as he started the coffee and then opened the take out containers. "You ready to eat?"

"Let me finish mixing the batter first and then I'll eat. You go ahead though," Ella said as she plugged in the mixer. "It shouldn't take me long."

Nate took a peek and the unmixed batter and smiled. "Red velvet?"

"Yep."

"Uncle Brown will love you even more," Nate said with a chuckle. "Hurry, though. You don't want your food to get cold."

She nodded and waved him away dismissively as she turned on the mixer. He chuckled and rolled his eyes. He waited until the coffee was done before he took the food to the dining room. He came back and made two cups. One for himself and one for Ella. He liked his darker and Ella took hers _very_ blonde. Her coffee was more creamer than actual _coffee_. By the time he'd done that she was pouring the batter into two round cake pans.

"There, see?" She said as she placed the mixing bowl in the sink and rinsed it. "Done."

"Good, now take your coffee and go eat while the oven preheats," He said sternly as he shoved her pink coffee mug into her hands. "Otherwise, you'll forget."

She blushed. "I wouldn't forget to _eat_, Nate."

"Ella, you locked yourself in your office for two days before the VMA's last year and _forgot_ to eat _then_. Remember?" Nate asked knowingly.

"That was an emergency. Alexis Bender ripped off Mitchie's outfit!"

"What about the Teen Choice Awards? Was that an emergency too?"

"…no, but I didn't really forget! I had pretzels and a fridge loaded with Vitamin Water!"

"Yes, because _that's_ the same," He said with a straight face.

"I ate after I finished all my work, didn't I?" She asked pointedly.

"Yes, _but_ gorging yourself on a ton of food in one sitting _probably_ isn't healthy," Nate told her with a grin.

Ella turned without another word and walked toward the dining table. His amused eyes followed her. The oven beeped behind him and she suddenly came racing around the corner. He held up a hand and motioned for her to turn around and go back. "You eat. I'll put the cakes in the oven."

She huffed and nodded and reminded him to set the timer before she left the kitchen once again. He laughed at her as he put the two cake pans in the oven and set the timer as she instructed. She was stubborn and a handful, but it kept things interesting and he wouldn't have her any other way.

He sat down next to her at the table, and she reached over and rubbed his back briefly before she spoke. "Thank you for breakfast, Nate."

"Not a problem, Ella," He leaned toward her and placed a kiss on her cheek.

* * *

Nate led Ella through the front door of his parent's house and then took the cake from her. They walked toward the kitchen, and Nate announced their presence as they went.

"Anybody around? We're here!"

"Nate?" His mother's accented voice answered as they reached the kitchen. When she saw them both she squealed and rushed Ella with a hug first.

"Ella, so good to see you! Oh my goodness, don't you look beautiful?"

Ella smiled and hugged her in return. "It's good to see you again too, Mrs. Gre—"

"Now, what did I tell you about that?"

Ella laughed. "Right, Vicky. It's good to see you again too, _Vicky_."

Nate set the cake container down on the counter then turned to lean against it and wait patiently until his mother was done gushing over Ella's outfit.

"You are just the cutest thing. I think that every time I see you."

Ella blushed and thanked her.

"And I see Nate gave you those earrings finally."

His eyes widend. "Um, mom—"

"Finally?" Ella asked as she turned to him with a quirked brow.

"Oh, yes. I helped him pick those out months ago. _He_ was just too nervous to give them to you until recently," Vicky Gray said as she made her way towards Nate and pinched his cheek. "My shy little boy. So adorable."

He turned crimson and shook his head. "Mo-_om_!"

Ella laughed as his mother told him to hush and then demanded a hug. He obliged and as they hugged Mrs. Gray noticed the cake container behind him. When she pulled back she turned to Ella.

"You didn't have to make anything, sweetie. As a matter of fact I told Nate not to let you make anything."

Ella shook her head and smiled. "It was no trouble, Mrs—_Vicky_. I already had the cake mix in the apartment. I promise it's not _completely_ from scratch."

"Well, good. From what I've heard you work hard enough as it is. I don't want to add to that," Vicky said as she reached over and patted Ella's cheek. "Everyone else is in the living room. Dinner just needs a few more minutes. You two go ahead and say hello to the rest of them. I'll be along in a minute."

The made it to the living room and made the rounds to say hello and give hugs. They reached Brown and Mr. Gray last. Brown hugged Ella tightly.

"How are you?" He asked. "I haven't seen you in a while. That last batch of interns I sent you came back singing your praises."

"Every intern you send me is very capable. If they're singing my praises it's because I keep singing theirs," Ella said with a chuckle. He kept one arm around her for a moment as they chatted.

"Yes, well, you've officially joined the ranks of Camp Rock legends amongst the campers," he told her with a smile. "I was thinking of asking you to come and speak to the costuming classes this summer. You think you'd be up for it?"

"Of course I would, Brown. Anything for Camp Rock, you know that," Ella said as she hugged him one last time. Brown passed her to Mr. Gray her hugged her just as tightly before pulling away.

"We told you not to be a stranger, Ella," He said sternly. "It's been _how long_ since we've seen you?"

She smiled at him apologetically. "I know, I know. I'm sorry about that. Work has been nearly non-stop lately. I promise you'll see me more often from now on."

"We better, you're one of us now. I hope you know that," He told her.

Her eyes widened. She was part of the family already and they didn't even know about the engagement. Oh yes, telling Nate's family about this would be a joy. It would be actually be fun, and not _stressful_.

_This is what a family should be like_, Ella thought to herself with a sad smile.

"Oh, Jeff, leave the poor girl alone," Mrs. Gray said suddenly as she joined them. "The important thing is that she's here now."

Nate and Ella shared a secretive smile before they found a place to sit in between Shane and Mitchie and Jason and Caitlyn. Caitlyn leaned toward the couple.

"When are you going to tell them?" She asked in a whisper.

"Once we're all sitting around the dining room table we'll announce it," Nate answered.

"Good," Shane said. "Jason's already come close to letting it slip three times."

"I'm sorry!" Jason apologized. "I'm excited! I can't help it!"

Caitlyn chuckled and patted Jason's shoulder. "He's lucky he's got me to cover for him."

Jason smiled warmly at her and kissed her cheek. "I'm lucky to have you at all, Caity."

"You have _got_ to stop being so sweet. Especially when we're places where I can't pounce on you like I _really_ want to," Caitlyn told him with a blush.

"I'm going to pretend I _didn't _just hear that," Shane said as he scrunched up his face in disgust.

"Alright, everyone!" Mrs. Gray announced. "Dinner's ready. Let's move this into the dining room."

The nine of them made their way to the dining room table. Mr. and Mrs. Gray sat on either end of the table. Brown sat next to his sister, and then Jason, Shane, and Nate sat across from Caitlyn, Mitchie, and Ella. Ella was seated next to Brown and Mrs. Gray. Once everyone was settled in Nate cleared his throat and stood up. He walked around the table to Ella. He stood next to her and took her hand in his. She smiled brightly at him as he spoke up.

"Guys, Ella and I have some news—"

Mrs. Gray gasped, but kept quiet and let Nate continued. He smirked at the sound of her gasp before he spoke again.

"Last night, while we were out to dinner I asked Ella to marry me," He said as he smiled down at her.

"And I said yes," Ella finished for him.

Mrs. Gray let out a loud squeal and clapped, and Brown and Mr. Gray smiled proudly at the couple.

"Oh, that is just the best news I've heard since Jason proposed to Caity!" Mrs. Gray said as she stood from the table and wrapped Nate in a hug. She pulled Ella up from her chair and hugged her as well. Then she reached for Ella's left hand to look for the ring. Her eyes watered when she saw it and she hugged Nate again. "You did good, son. You did good."

He laughed. "Thanks, mom."

Mr. Gray stood from his chair and walked toward them. He hugged Ella and then hugged Nate. "It's about time you proposed to this one. Congratulations, you two."

Brown gave them both hugs. He kissed Ella's cheek and then shook Nate's hand. "Congratulations, mate."

"Thanks, Uncle Brown," Nate said as he hugged his uncle. "Honestly, if it wasn't for you none of us would met any of these women sitting at this table. We owe you a lot, man."

Brown shook his head. "That's not the way fate works, man. You would have met them. Just probably not so soon."

Shane gave Brown a smile as everyone sat down again. Shane looked at Mitchie before looking back to Brown. "_Still_, Brown, you brought all of us together. We could never pay you back enough for that."

"Pay me back," Brown said as he gave Shane a pointed look. "By making it _last_, and _never_ missing opportunities, yeah?"

Shane blushed and scratched his head. He knew exactly what that meant. "Yeah, Uncle Brown. We can do that."

"_Well_," Mrs. Gray said happily. "Let's eat and then Nate and Ella can tell us _everything_. I want to hear about the proposal, and then after dinner I want to take pictures."

The entire family shared a look and laughed.

"No one objects to that, do they?" Mrs. Gray asked sternly.

"No, ma'am," The boys said all together.


	3. Interruptions

**A/N: **Here's chapter three! And this is where the real drama begins! So enjoy! :D Happy reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Three: Interruptions

* * *

Ella was very beautiful, and Nate knew she enjoyed wearing dresses and jewelry. He knew she loved to look her best. It was part of who she was and her talent for fashion. He definitely didn't mind the way she dressed. She liked to show skin, and a lot of her dresses were strapless and stopped just above her knees. More often than not the clothes she wore made his heart beat speed up and do erratic things.

_But_ there was something to be said for the way she was dressed right now: Worn out jeans, a gray oversized sweatshirt, cozy socks, and a Yankees baseball cap that she'd swiped from his closet. There was only the slightest _hint_ of make up on her face, and she was still breathtakingly gorgeous. She was comfortable. Vulnerable. He _loved_ that she trusted him enough to let him see her like _this_.

She had her legs tucked underneath her and her feet pointed away from him as they sat on the sofa. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into his chest. He grinned in amusement as he heard her sniffle. They were still at the beginning of the movie and the end of the Carl and Ellie montage was closing in. She shifted her legs and pulled them closer to her. Her knees overlapped on his legs and brought his free hand to rest on her knee. He squeezed it gently.

"You okay over there?" He asked with a grin.

She looked up at him with watery eyes and nodded. "I'm fine."

"Sad?"

"No, amazed," She answered. "It's beautiful. They had a long full life together. I mean, they had their struggles, but they were happy."

He leaned toward her and kissed her temple. "_You're_ beautiful."

"Tell me that this will be us, Nate. Promise me that the only reason we'll _ever_ be without each other is old age," Ella requested as she brought his arm from around her and held his hand in hers. He smiled softly at their fingers as she laced them together.

"I promise you that _that_," He said as he motioned to the screen with his other hand. "Will be us."

She sighed happily and beamed at him. "Good."

There was a knock at her door and they both looked toward it. Nate untangled himself from her and stood. "That's the pizza."

He pulled out his wallet as he approached the door. He opened it and expected a teenage boy in a baseball cap and a polo shirt, but found a rough looking tattooed middle aged man instead. It wasn't the pizza. No, he recognized this man. He'd seen him in magazines, on television, and in the photos hanging on Ella's walls.

It was Van Pador. Ella's very famous rock-star father and the lead singer of the band Headline.

"Oh, sorry," He said. "I must have the wrong apartment." He started to walk away but paused and squinted at Nate. "Wait, no, I know you. Connect Three, right?"

Nate closed his mouth and nodded. "Yes, sir." He reached out and shook the man's large callused hands. "I'm Nate Gray. Um, come on in. Ella's just in the living room."

He made a throaty affirmative noise and stepped inside. Nate closed the door behind him and led him into the living room.

"Ella?" Nate called. "Your dad's here."

"Um, what?" Ella asked loudly as he heard her scramble around. She clambered around the corner and met them half way. "_Daddy_? What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood, and thought I'd drop by and ask if there was anything I could bring for tomorrow," He said as she gave her a hug and kissed the top of her head.

She laughed as he pulled away. "Dad, what do you have that you could possibly bring? Honestly, what have you got in your kitchen right now?"

"I, ah, well…beer and…bacon," He admitted sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck.

Ella laughed again and shook her head. "Don't worry about bringing anything. Just bring yourself and we'll be fine."

"Alright, alright, fine," He said with an amused grin.

"Oh, and dad this is Nate Gray," Ella said as she motioned between the two men. "And Nate this is my dad, Van Pador."

"Yes, we had our introductions at the door," Van Pador said as his grin fell. He shrugged and then reached out to squeeze Ella's hand. Ella's eyes widened slightly as his hand wrapped around her left. He froze and then pulled her hand up to get a better look at her ring finger and the large diamond resting on it. "What…_what_ is this?"

Ella bit her lip and looked down at the floor.

"Ella," Van Pador said in a warning tone.

She looked back up at him and took a calming breath. "We were going to tell you tomorrow night at dinner."

Nate felt the sudden urge to pull Ella away from Van Pador. He looked livid. He turned his glare on Nate and dropped Ella's hand. "You're engaged? To _him_?"

Her eyes widened and then her brow furrowed angrily. "Dad!"

"No, Ella Billie Pador, you listen to me—"

Ella growled, and Nate's eyes widened. He'd never heard her growl before _ever_.

"No, _Dad_. Stop talking to me like I'm little kid. I'm twenty-five, I pay my own rent, my own bills, and I have my own career. You may not _like_ my decisions, but you should at least be able to respect them."

"We need to talk," Van Pador said with a sigh. "_Alone_."

Nate wasn't sure he liked that idea. He turned to tell Ella this and she reached over and squeezed his hand. She gave him a reassuring look. "It's okay."

"Ella—"

"I'll be fine, Nate. Really. Just don't leave. I—" She took a deep breath and he squeezed her hand.

"I won't. I'll be here."

She nodded and then directed her father to the kitchen. She closed the kitchen door and Nate stared at it in shock. He didn't even realize the kitchen had a door. She _never_ closed it. He sat down on the couch and _tried_ not to think about what might be going on behind that door. He turned off the movie and surfed through the channels, but he couldn't really focus on any of them. He rubbed a hand across his forehead and turned off the television. It wasn't really distracting him anyway.

* * *

"I will not stand by and watch you make a terrible mistake, Ella."

"A mistake? Daddy, I _love_ him."

"I don't doubt that, but love doesn't always last forever, Ellie."

"Gee, Dad, what a lovely thought," She said sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

"I've been in that boy's shoes before. I know what it's like to be on top of the world and have everything you could ever dream of at your fingertips. And do you know what I did when I was where he was?"

Ella shook her head wordlessly and looked down at the floor.

"I married your mother. I married your mother because she'd been with me through a lot and I _knew_ she didn't care about the fame or the money. I felt like I _owed_ it to her to be married. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?" He asked softly. "I'm saying your mother loved me, but I didn't love her. I thought I did. I convinced myself I did because I thought I _should_. And _that_ tore your mother apart. She is the way she is today because of me. I will not watch _him_ do the same thing to _you_."

"Dad," she whispered hoarsely. "I am not mom. She and I are _nothing_ a like."

He reached out and tilted her face upward so he could look her in the eyes. "Ellie, before _I_ messed her up…she was _exactly_ like you."

"B—But that's not going to happen with me. Nate loves me. I _know_ he does. I'm _not_ wrong about that," She said as she swallowed thickly.

Van Pador sighed sadly. "Don't marry him. Marry someone…_normal_."

"No!" Ella said loudly as she pulled her chin out of his hand. "I love Nate, and I'm _going_ to marry him. Nothing you say can change my mind."

He huffed and stepped away from her. "Don't expect me to stick around to see it then."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"If you insist on marrying him then fine. Go ahead and do that, but if you're looking for someone to give you away…_don't_ count on me."

Her eyes instantly pooled with water as she watched him turn and walk out of the kitchen. She followed him as he walked toward the door. "You can't mean that!"

"Yes I can. Go ahead, have your wedding. But _I_ won't be there to see you trap yourself in a doomed marriage," He said angrily as he opened the door.

"My marriage will _not_ be doomed! Nate and I are different. _You_ didn't love mom. You _just_ admitted as much. Your relationship was one sided. Nate and I love _each other_. That's the difference!" Ella yelled as she stopped in front of him. She felt Nate come up to stand behind her, and she closed her eyes. "This is my _wedding_, daddy. You _have_ to be there."

Sadness flashed across his face before he stepped forward and placed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm _sorry_, Ella-Bell, but _no_."

He pulled away and Ella heard the door slam. She covered her face with her hands and crumpled against the door. She felt Nate wrap his arms around her and pull her toward him. He sunk to the floor with her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she cried. She hugged him tightly and buried her head in his chest.

Nate, for his part, had _no_ idea what to do except hold her and let her cry. He was angry. Angry at the man that _dared_ to call himself her father. He couldn't say Van Pador's dislike for him was completely unexpected. He'd seen the signs of it the minute he answered the door. But the fact that the man couldn't push aside his own issues to be there for his daughter for _one_ very big day was unforgivable and confirmed the one thing he'd always suspected about Ella's father.

He was a _very_ self centered man.

Finally Ella seemed to calm down and Nate squeezed her shoulders before he whispered, "Ella?"

"I told you my parents wouldn't handle this well," She said quietly. His chest ached at the empty and heartbroken tone in her voice.

"Maybe he'll change his mind," Nate suggested.

"No, he won't."

She went silent again and Nate gently brushed her hair out of her face. "Ella? Talk to me, please."

"He hates me."

"He doesn't hate you."

"He hates me so much that he won't even give me away at my wedding, Nate."

"Ella, he doesn't hate you. He loves you. He just…doesn't _love_ me. That's all."

"But he should…he should love you. I do," Ella muttered sadly.

"I'm sorry, El. I am."

She gasped and pulled back to look at him. "Don't."

His eyes widened. "Don't what?"

"Do _not_ apologize for loving me."

His eyes softened and he kissed her lips gently. He pulled away and looked her in the eyes. "I would _never_ apologize for that. _Never_."

"Good," She said finally. "I just—I don't understand. He should at least be able to be civil…to be there for me. He's my _father_. Isn't that his job?"

Nate sighed and kissed her temple. "It's _supposed_ to be."

"Oh God," She said as he heard her sob again. "I'm not going to have a father-daughter dance. I—"

She cut herself off as she began to cry again and he closed his eyes and held her tighter. He didn't want to suggest what he was about to suggest, but there was a _tiny_ possibility that this suggestion _might_ make her happy. He had no choice but to say it. "Maybe—_Maybe _ we should put the wedding off for a while until we can convince him to come around to it. I think it's still possible. We just have to get him to spend time with us. He'll see it."

Ella stopped crying but she continued to sniffle. She _knew_ that's not what he wanted. She could hear it in his voice. It touched her that he would offer though. "Oh, Nate, _no_. We're not going to have a long engagement. I _want_ my father to be in the wedding, but he's not going to change his mind. Putting off the wedding would only hurt _us_, and I don't want that. The _only_ thing that matters is that I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. It's my father's loss if he doesn't want to be a part of that. I—I'll be sad about it, but…the wedding _will_ happen without him and life will go on. And _you and I_ will be happy."

She leaned up and kissed his lips softly. He responded and kissed her back for a few minutes. When he pulled away he caught her eyes. "Are you sure? Because more than anything I want you to be happy. I'll do whatever I can to make that happen—"

She smiled warmly at him and he traced the tear stains on her face with his thumbs as he caressed her face. She closed her eyes and he could see a certain light and warmth returning to her face as she spoke. "_You_ make me happy. Being with you is what will make me happy."

He kissed her forehead and nodded. "I love you, Ella Pador. I just want you to know that. I don't know what your father said to you, but…_he's wrong_. I truly _love_ you. Don't ever doubt that."

"I know," She said softly. "I would _never_ doubt you. I love you too much for that. No matter what anyone else says I know that what we have is real. It's the only thing I'm absolutely certain about."

She snuggled her head into his chest again and for a long time they sat on the floor and held each other. Finally Ella took a deep cleansing breath and stood up. She held out a hand for him and helped him up.

"Weren't we having a movie night?" She asked with a small smile.

"Ella, we can do something else—"

"No, no. I want to finish _Up_. It seemed really sweet, and shouldn't our pizza be here by now?" She asked as she laced her fingers through his. He glanced down at his watch.

"Believe it or not it's only been about forty minutes since I called it in."

Her brow furrowed. "How is that possible? I've been crying _forever_."

He smiled sadly at her and pulled her against him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pressed his forehead to hers and breathed in her scent. "I really _hate it_ when you cry. It breaks my heart. Especially when you have a genuinely hurtful reason to cry."

"Why are you so wonderful?" Ella asked him with a small smile. "Really, you're always here when I need you _even_ when you're on tour."

"It's simple, really," He told her with a shrug. "You come first. Yes, my career is important, my music is important, but _you_ are my first priority. Your well being comes before anything else."

She hugged him tightly. "You come first for me too. Nothing else is as important to me as you."

There was a knock at the door, and Nate reluctantly pulled away from her. "Let's hope that's the pizza."

She smiled brightly as she watched him go. Yes, the evening had been spoiled ever so slightly thanks to her father's intrusion, but…

As long as she had Nate she just _knew_ everything would work out.


	4. Meeting the Mother

Chapter Four: Meeting the Mother

* * *

Nate entered Ella's apartment and was greeted with the aroma of pot roast. It was unmistakable. He set his bag down at the table and entered the kitchen. He stopped short of Ella and stared at her for a moment. She was frantically buzzing around the kitchen preparing food left and right. And then…there was her outfit.

She was wearing this white dress that extended just passed her knees. It completely covered her shoulders and had small cap sleeves. She had a brightly colored apron on over most of the dress as she cooked, but he could see the edges of a very large bow peeking out from under the apron.

Her hair was up in a tight bun and she wore delicate silver jewelry that looked nothing like her usual chunky stone necklaces or long chains and pendants. He noticed a highly unfashionable charm bracelet dangling on her wrist and a very formal looking ring on her right ring finger. His gaze fell to her feet and he shook his head. Flats. She never wore flats. He was surprised she even _owned_ a pair of flats.

"Um, Ella?"

She looked up at gave him a small smile. "Hey, Nate." She did a double take and looked back up at him. "_What_ are you wearing?"

His eyes widened. "I was about to ask you the same question."

"Nate, my mother is going to be here in half an hour. Please tell me you have clothes that you plan on changing into? You can't meet her in jeans and a flannel shirt. You just _can't_."

"Ella, do you realize you look like a 1950s housewife, right now?" Nate asked as he quirked a brow at her.

"Yes! Yes, I do. This is what my mother likes, Nate. Conservative and just slightly old fashioned. Just go with it, please? Do you have other clothes?"

He sighed. "Yes, in my car. I'll go and get them."

She jogged over to him and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. I know I seem totally crazy right now, but…tonight has to _perfect_."

He left to go get his change of clothes from the car and when he came back he was greeted with the distinct sounds of Ella cursing and wincing. "Ella?" He called as he approached the kitchen.

She was running her hand under the water and he joined her by the sink. "I—I burned my hand."

He shook his head. "Ella, you need to slow down. You're panicking."

"Yes! I'm panicking! If tonight doesn't go well _neither_ of my parents will be at our wedding, Nate! _Neither!_ Do you know how embarrassing that would be? I _need_ my mother to be there. She _has_ to be okay with us. She _has_ to be."

He took her hand out from under the water to inspect it. "You causing yourself accidental harm will not _make_ things go well, El. You need to calm down." He could see her eyes welling up and brought a hand up to caress her cheek. "Ella, everything will be okay. We'll get through this together. You'll see."

She nodded and he kissed her forehead.

"I'm going to go change now. _Please_ don't hurt yourself while I'm gone."

She let out a soggy chuckle. "I'll try."

He changed quickly and came back out to find Ella setting the dining room table. He motioned to his outfit when she looked up at him. "Better?"

She smiled warmly at him and looked him up and down. He had on a nice blue dress shirt and a pair of black slacks. "Yes, much. You look very handsome."

"Good, how's your hand?" He asked.

"Okay. It still stings a little," She said as she started to lay out napkins. When she set the last napkin down he grabbed the hand she'd burned and brought it to his lips. She smiled mischievously at him. "And suddenly it feels _much_ better now."

He laughed softly, and pulled her toward him. "Haven't seen you since this morning. How was your day?"

She shrugged. "It was pretty decent. I got a lot done. It was the only way to distract myself from thinking about this dinner."

The oven timer dinged and Ella pulled away from him and ran to the kitchen. She pulled a tray of brownies from the oven and set them on the cooling rack. She checked the things on the stovetop and turned off the burners. She came back and wrapped her arms around his chest. "Dinner's done, and we still have about fifteen minutes before my mom or brother is scheduled to show up."

"Fifteen minutes, huh?" He asked with a smirk.

"Fifteen minutes," She repeated as she smiled at him and bit her bottom lip.

"I wouldn't want to mess up that ridiculous bun you've got your hair in."

She glared at him playfully. "Fine." She reached up and pulled three pins out of her hair and shook it out until it fell gently onto her shoulders. "How's this?"

"Perfect," He nearly growled out as his lips covered hers. She made a surprised noise at the suddenness of the contact, but quickly relaxed into the kiss with a happy sigh. One of his hands slipped into her hair and massaged her scalp absently as his other arm wrapped around her waist to pull her closer. He deepened the kiss and Ella wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. He began to back them toward the living room and Ella's sofa when there was a sudden and loud knock at the door. Ella jumped and pulled away. Nate huffed and ran a hand through his hair.

"That's Tyler's knock. He's early," Ella said as her voice dripped with disappointment.

"Of course he is," Nate said before he kissed her one last time. He pulled away and gave her a determined glare. "We're finishing this later."

She smiled evilly at him as she walked away to answer the door. "That better be a promise." She winked at him as she reached the door. "You might want to wipe the lipstick off of your mouth, Nate."

He smiled sheepishly at her and wiped at his lips. She opened the door and Tyler walked in.

"Hello, sis. How are you? And…what _the hell_ are you wearing? You look like mom."

"That's kind of the point, Ty."

"Ah, you're buttering her up? The last time you dressed like mom you told her you were going to a four year design trade school instead of an actual university," Tyler said as they exited the hallway and entered the living room. "You really think she's going to respond _that _poorly to you being engaged?"

Ella glanced at her brother in surprise but he ignored her. He spotted Nate and nodded. He walked over to him and shook his hand. "Hi, Tyler. I'm Nate."

"Yeah, I know. I don't think there's anyone out there who _doesn't_ know who you are," Tyler said with a laugh. "I heard you two had a run in with dad a couple of nights ago?"

Ella groaned and rubbed a hand over her eyes. "Did he call you?"

"Oh yes, apparently I am now the 'good child'. His words, not mine."

"He's being _ridiculous_," Ella said with a sneer. She'd gotten past sad and was now _furious_ with her father.

"He's dad," Tyler reminded her as he bumped her shoulder. "He's always ridiculous."

The buzzer sounded from the intercom and Ella glanced down at her watch. "She's early. Of course, she's early."

Ella went to the door and buzzed her mother up. She motioned Nate over to the door and he furrowed his brow. "What?"

"I want you to be here when I open the door," Ella said as she continued to motion him over. Tyler patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"You'd better go. Hurricane Ella demands it. You haven't seen her crazy yet, trust me."

Ella glared at him as Nate began to walk over. "Shut _up_, Tyler."

"You shut up, Ellie."

"No, you."

"No, _you_."

"Wow," Nate said with a soft laugh. "You two are worse than me and my brothers."

"Excuse me, but I once heard the three of you argue for an _hour_ over whether or not Pringles or Lays were the better brand of chips," Ella told him with a pointed look.

"I still say Lays. They're classic," Nate told her. She rolled her eyes at him and chuckled.

"Dude, what are you talking about? Pringles are definitely better. They're less greasy," Tyler told him.

"Greasy potato chips are the only potato chips worth eating," Nate argued in return.

"Oh good lord," Ella said with a sigh. "Did I start this? Because we really have other things to worry about right now."

There was a knock at the door and Ella jumped.

"Like _her_," Ella whispered. Before she opened the door she turned to give Nate one last look. She looked him up and down and then straightened his collar. He smirked at her in amusement as she smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt. She took a deep breath before she turned back to the door. She placed her hand on the knob and exhaled. "Here we go."

"Mom, hi," Ella said as she opened the door and smiled.

Tyler wasn't kidding when he said Ella was dressed like their mom. She was wearing a very old fashioned and conservative dress and her hair was pulled up into French twist. She looked like an older and sterner version of Ella. Ella and her mother hugged quickly and Ella pulled her inside the apartment.

"Come on in," Ella said. She motioned between her mother and Nate once the door was closed. "Mom, this is Nate. Nate this is my mom, Lauren Do."

"It's great to finally meet you, Ms. Do." He said as he reached out to shake her hand.

She reluctantly shook his hand. "And you as well, Mr. Gray."

He cleared his throat before he spoke again. "Please, call me Nate."

She quirked a brow at him and gave him an appraising look as if she were asking herself if he was worth it. "Hmm, no. Not yet. I think I'll stick with 'Mr. Gray' for now."

Ella winced and Nate's eyes widened in surprise.

"Well, whatever makes you comfortable, of course," He said quickly.

"Dinner's ready," Ella told her with a sigh. "Just need to put it on the table. Nate, will you take my mother's things into the bedroom, please?"

He nodded. "Sure."

Ella walked off to the kitchen and Ms. Do shoved her coat and purse into Nate's arms a little more forcefully than necessary. He grunted a little and tried very hard to keep his balance. Ella's mom then quickly walked away from him to hug Tyler. He sighed and took the coat and the purse into Ella's bedroom and set them down on her bed. Nate came back into the living room and sat down in the plushy chair that was perpendicular to the couch.

Ella's mom and Tyler were situated on the couch, and she was working very hard to ignore him. She was currently questioning Tyler about his love life.

"Alicia's back in town, you know. I bet she wouldn't mind if you called her."

"Mom, Alicia and I are _very_ over."

"I think you two called it quits too soon—"

"Nate, dude, how's the music business? Are you crazy busy or what?" Tyler asked urgently. He was clearly looking for a change of subject.

Nate was shocked when the topic of conversation turned to him. "Uh, no. Not crazy busy. We're working on our next album right now. So we've actually go a really relaxed schedule for the moment," he said. "And we're taking the next two and a half weeks off for my brother's wedding, so—"

"Oh? You have a brother who's getting married?" Ms. Do asked curiously.

"Yes, Jason. He's the oldest. He's marrying an old friend of ours—"

"Really? Who?" She asked.

Ella came into the living room then and sat on the arm rest of Nate's chair. "Caitlyn, mom. You remember Caitlyn, right?"

"Oh yes, the feisty girl that wore all those bright colors. I liked her," She turned to Nate. "Is this brother in your band?"

Nate nodded. "Yes, he's actually one of the most talented guitarists I've—"

"Hmm, I thought Caitlyn was smarter than that."

Ella's eyes widened. "Mom!"

Tyler groaned. "Mom, really. You promised."

Ella opened her mouth to say something, but Nate placed a hand on her knee to stop her. "It's fine, really."

"Nate—"

"Ella, let's just eat, okay?"

She sighed and nodded. "It's all on the table."

The group awkwardly made their way to the table to eat and while the food was being passed around Ella's mother spoke again. "Oh, you know, not only is Alicia back in town, _but_ her brother is too."

Ella gave her mother a silencing look. She knew where this was headed. "Mom—"

"Darren. You remember Darren, of course, Ellie. I mean you lived with him for nearly a year while you were finishing school. When I spoke to him the other day he said his practice was doing really well. He even asked about you. I told him to give you a call. I hope you don't mind."

Tyler buried his head in his hands and groaned. Ella glared daggers at her mother, and Nate tried his best to ignore _everything_ that was just said. He remembered Darren. How could he forget? He'd _despised_ Darren. He'd been jealous of the guy the _entire_ time he dated Ella. Darren was six years older, more sophisticated, and _very_ tall. Ella had been completely in love with him. Nate had wanted to _strangle_ him.

The problem with Darren came when he and Ella discovered they wanted very different futures. Ella wanted a career, marriage, and family. Darren wanted to retire young and move to Paris. This plan included Ella, but _didn't_ include marriage or children. They'd broken up when they'd realized neither of them were going to change their minds.

A year and a half later Nate had finally gotten his chance with Ella, and, unlike Darren, he and Ella wanted _all_ the same things.

"_Of course_, I mind that you told him to call me, mother. I can't believe you," Ella said in a disgusted tone.

"He said he'd chang—"

"I don't care what he said. In case you haven't noticed…I'm taken," Ella told her with a huff.

"So this _thing_ between you and him is _serious_?" Ms. Do asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Ms. Do, we're serious," Nate said sternly. "_Very_ serious."

"I see," She said blankly. "How serious?"

"We're engaged, mom," Ella told her slowly.

Ms. Do sighed and shook her head. She took her napkin out of her lap and placed it on the table. "Well, I suppose that's my cue to leave."

"No, mom. Don't leave—"

"I'll stay only if I can have a private word with you."

Ella sighed. "Fine."

"No."

Ella turned to Nate sharply. "What?"

"Ella, I let you handle your dad by yourself. I _hate_ myself for that. I'm not going to let you do that again. Ms. Do, you can talk to _both_ of us or you can feel free to leave," Nate told Ella's mother firmly.

Tyler's eyes widened and he gave Nate an impressed glance.

"Excuse me?" Ms. Do asked.

"Say what you need to say in front of all of us or you can leave," Nate repeated.

"Fine," Ella's mom said in a clipped tone. "I think Ella can do better. I think she's making a huge mistake and that she's going to regret it. I think she should get as far away from _you_ as possible. _That's_ what I needed to say."

Nate's expression hardened as he nodded. "Alright, now it's my turn."

"Your turn?" Ella asked worriedly.

"Yes, it's _my_ turn. It's my turn to tell your mother what _I_ think of _both_ of your parents."

"Nate—"

"No," Tyler said as he interrupted his sister. "Let him talk. I want to hear this."

"Let's start with Van. I think Van Pador is the most self centered man I've ever met. I think he should be able to get over himself and his own mistakes in order to be there for Ella. His only daughter. I also think he's irresponsible and has no priorities what so ever."

Ella's mother smirked very slightly at that.

"And I'll be forced to think the same of you if you assume that _he_ and _I_ are the same person. If you can't put aside your _prejudice_ against musicians to support your daughter that you _claim_ to love then I'll be forced to believe that _you_ are just as selfish as he is. Ella and I are not you and Van. I plan to have her in my life for a _very_ long time, as long as I live actually. I would do anything it takes to make that plan come to fruition. And I suppose, as her parents, I expected _more_ from both of you."

Ms. Do considered him thoughtfully for a moment. "I suppose you're right."

Ella and Tyler exchanged shocked looks.

"H—he is?" Ella asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, he is."

"D—does that mean that you're okay with—"

"It means that I have a lot to think about, Ella."

"But will you be at the wedding?" Ella asked.

She sighed. "I'll be there, but…I don't think I'll be paying for it. I'm not sure I support this relationship, _but_ I do love you, Ella, and I want to be there on a day that's very important to you."

"I don't care who's paying for it, mom. I just want you there," Ella said with a small smile.

She reached over and squeezed her daughter's hand. "I'll be there."

"You promise?" Ella asked.

She nodded. "Promise."

"And, _Nate_," Ms. Do said as she glanced at him. His eyes widened when she used his first name. "For the record, I may not _like_ you, but, at least, now you have my respect."

"I, um-thank you?" Nate said hesitantly.

"You're welcome," She said with a small grin as she placed her napkin back in her lap and picked up her fork. "So, what's for dessert?"


	5. Getting Organized

**A/N: **This one's short, and sort of filler, but I like it. It was fun to just write Nate and Ella alone together. Also, my awesome readers, I have a poll on my profile right now. I'd really like to know what pairing you guys think I should write a one shot for next. Go vote and let me know! I'd really appreciate it!

Happy Reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Five: Getting Organized

* * *

Ella sat at Nate's kitchen table with one leg tucked underneath her and the other dangling over the chair. She leaned over the table and sighed as she stared at the two books in front of her. One had the words "Wedding Planner" engraved across of the front of it in gold letters, and the other was a bright pink address book. One told her all that had to be done to plan a successful wedding and the other had inside of it all the numbers of everyone Caitlyn was using for her wedding.

She'd gotten up before Nate and snuck downstairs to pour over both books. There was so much to do. Almost too much. And they didn't even have a date, or a venue, or a color scheme picked out. They'd decided on nothing. She tugged on Nate's Yankees cap that she was currently wearing and closed her eyes. She could feel a headache coming on.

"Ella."

She turned to find Nate leaning against the door frame of the kitchen door.

"Morning," She said with a sigh.

"I don't like it when you wake up before me," Nate told her. "It usually means you're going to be preoccupied with something all day long."

He stepped into the kitchen and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. He peered down at the books in front of her.

"Do you realize that we've been engaged for nearly two weeks and we've made absolutely _no_ decisions?" Ella asked as she glared at the two books on the table.

He kissed the top of her head. "We've been a little busy so far. What with my family, your family, and the press—"

"I know, but…we haven't even decided _where_ we're going to get married yet. Or even _when_. That's kind of important, don't you think?"

He chuckled. "Of course, I think that's important. Ella, c'mon, it's seven in the morning and we have the day off. I say we worry about this later, and go back to bed."

"Nate, we need to start making decisions," She said as she leaned back and rested her head against his chest.

He sighed. "Okay, if we sit down and make a decision about something _then_ can we go back to bed?"

"Deal," Ella agreed. Nate walked around her to sit beside of her at the table.

"Okay, what first?" Nate asked.

She bit her bottom lip as she thought. "Well, Caitlyn said she and Jason picked a place first…"

He chuckled. "Yeah, and they picked Hawaii."

Ella grinned. "Well, they don't have to travel too far to start their honeymoon at least."

"I'd rather not think about their honeymoon, thanks."

Ella laughed at him. "Would you rather think about ours?"

He smirked and quirked an eyebrow at her. "Who's to say I haven't already thought about it?"

"Oh, really?" Ella asked with a grin. "Then maybe I should just leave those plans up to you."

"Yeah?" He asked.

She nodded and leaned toward him coyly. "Yeah, _surprise_ me."

He met her halfway and covered her lips with his. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his tongue ran across her bottom lip. She sighed happily and parted her lips. He deepened the kiss and pulled her and her chair closer. The chair legs scraped against the tile until they ran into the legs of his own chair. The closer she got the more the ball cap got in the way. Without pulling his lips away from hers Nate reached up and gently tugged the cap off of her head and tossed it aside.

His arms wrapped around her completely. He realized she was leaning forward in her chair. She was no where near the back of her chair. He pulled her toward him until she was forced to sit in his lap. She pulled away for a second to reposition herself more comfortably and he swallowed thickly as she straddled his lap. Once that was done she immediately brought her lips back to his. His hands slipped up the back of her over sized sweater and she whined softly. She wrapped a few fingers around the curls at the nape of his neck and he pulled her tighter against him. He pulled his hands away from her back and ran them lightly over her shoulders and arms. He pushed both of her sleeves up past her elbows and then ran his fingers absently across her skin.

She kissed him even harder then and he reluctantly pulled away. They were both trying to catch their breath, but Nate just couldn't stop himself from placing his lips on the one spot he _knew_ was her absolute weakness. She gasped when his lips landed on the edge of her jaw just below her ear. His tongue teased her skin for several minutes before he trailed his kisses across her jaw and then down her neck. He tugged the pink fabric of her sweater aside and began to kiss across her shoulder and her collar bone.

"Nate," She gasped out. One hand went up the back of her sweater again as he kissed back up her neck and found that spot below her ear again. "Oh, God."

He chuckled against her skin, and paused his kissing for a moment. "_Now_ can we go back to bed?"

"I—I…"

His tongue hit her skin again and she hissed.

"Yes, yes, we can…"

For a moment he thought he'd properly distracted her, and then she finished her sentence.

"…as soon as we make a decision."

He pulled away and rested his forehead against her shoulder. He groaned and nodded. "Fine, fine. Let's make a decision. The sooner we decide something the sooner we can go upstairs."

She chuckled and played with the curls her fingers were wrapped around. "Nate, we just need to have _something_ decided before we leave for Hawaii in a few days, that's all. I mean, when we get back we're going to be busy preparing for the engagement party and we won't be able to make any real decisions."

"I know, I know. You're right. So, let's go back to deciding where. I think that's a good place to start. And if you want me to be able to focus you're going to have to quit playing with my hair like that. It's driving me insane."

She smirked and pulled her hands out of his hair. "Sorry."

"Believe me, normally I wouldn't mind, but I wouldn't be much help if you kept that up. I'd probably end up dragging you upstairs whether we made a decision or not."

She laughed lightly and nodded with a playful grin. "Understood. Do you need me to, ah, _dismount_?"

He blushed and his arms tightened around her waist. "No, no. You stay right where you are. I quite like this position we're in actually."

She bit her bottom lip and then lowered her head to kiss his lips softly and quickly before they could get carried away again. She smiled thoughtfully at him. "Sunset. I want to be married outdoors at sunset."

He quirked a brow at her. "Okay, we have a when…sort of. Now we just need a place that looks appealing at sunset."

"You know the place that I've _always_ loved to be at sunset?" She asked as her eyes glowed with nostalgia.

He took a deep breath and breathed in her vanilla sent. He smiled warmly at her. "Where?"

"The lake at camp."

He chuckled. "You want to get married _at camp_?"

"Don't you think it would perfect? We could have the ceremony on the beach in front of the pier, and the reception in the dining hall and we could use the outdoor stage for the band and the dancing…it would be gorgeous."

He smiled at her. "Is that what would make you happy, El?"

She nodded and beamed at him. "It would make me _very_ happy."

"Then that's what we'll do."

She hugged him tightly and rested her forehead against his. "Really?"

"Really," He said with a nod. "Besides it is kind of perfect. We can control security, and we can make sure only the press _we_ invite gets in. Plus, if we rent the whole place our out-of-town guests can stay in the cabins the night before. And you know Brown will give us a very generous rate."

Ella chuckled. "Trust _you_ to point out the logical reasons."

He smirked at her. "You think it's sexy, don't lie."

She laughed and nodded slowly. "Oh, I definitely think it's sexy. No doubt."

"Now, since we've made a decision…can we _please_ go back upstairs?" He asked as he slid his hands up the back of her sweater again. He traced light and slow circles over her skin with his thumbs.

She gasped and her hands went back to his curls. "Yes. Yes, let's go back upstairs."

She quickly stood from his lap and peeled off her oversized sweater to reveal the fitting black tank top she had on underneath it. Nate gulped and before standing up and pulling her against him. His hands softly trailed up her arms and then brushed her hair off of her shoulders. He suddenly knelt and wrapped his arms around her waist. She yelped and laughed as he tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of sugar. She kicked and squirmed all the way up the stairs. His hands dug into her sides and tickled her lightly before he dropped her onto his bed.

She laughed again. "Geez, Nate when did you become such beast?"

He grinned evilly at her and lowered himself over her on the bed. "About the same time you decided to spend the morning _teasing_ me."

She smirked and pulled his lips down to hers. She pushed him away a bit and winked. "Well, I'm won't _tease_ you anymore today." She laid back on the bed and pulled him with her. "After all, we did _finally_ make it back to bed, didn't we?"

"Yes, we did," He said as he growled lightly. "And, believe me, we're not leaving any time soon."


	6. Jaitlyn Wedding, Part One

**A/N:** Okay, one last day for the poll on my profile page, and then I'm going to close it. And this chapter should make up for the shortness of the last one. IT'S SUPER LONG. Over seven thousand words. Enjoy!

Happy reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Six: Jaitlyn Wedding, Part One

* * *

"Do we have everything?" Ella asked as Nate closed and locked his front door.

"We better have everything. If you pack anything else people are going to think we're _moving_ to Hawaii," Nate told her with a teasing smirk.

She rolled her eyes. "Humor me or I _will_ go through my checklist again."

His eyes widened and he nodded. "Yes, we have everything, but most importantly I have my suit and you have your dress. Anything else we forget can be replaced when we get there."

"Anything, huh? You sure about that?"

"What couldn't we replace in Hawaii?"

"Think about it, Nate. We're going to be in Hawaii, a _very_ romantic place, at a wedding, also very romantic. And I believe we will be sharing a room, so what could I possibly forget that _might_ put a wrench in _all_ of that temptation?" Ella asked with a grin.

His eyes widened once again. "Oh, right. You, ah, you _do_ have that right?"

"My pills? Yes, they're in my purse," Ella said with a chuckle. "I just wanted to point out how _bad_ forgetting something so little could be. I believe I proved my point, didn't I?"

"And freaking me out was just a bonus, right?"

She giggled. "Yes, a very entertaining bonus."

He rolled his eyes, and spoke up dryly. "Why exactly do I keep you around again?"

She smiled at him and hugged him tightly. "Because you love me, and I'm adorable."

"And so humble too," Nate said as he gave her a half smile.

The large black van in Nate's driveway honked. Suddenly Shane's head peeked out of one of the windows. "Dude, quit being all mushy and get in the van!"

Nate scowled at him. "Don't get your panties in a twist, man. We're coming."

The driver made his way toward them, and rolled Ella's two large suitcases toward the back of the van. Shane's brow furrowed at the suitcases.

"Are you guys _moving_ to Hawaii or what? Geez, Ella, can you _possibly_ need that much stuff?"

She glared at him. "I'm going to be in Hawaii for four days. I had to prepare for all the possibilities."

Nate's eyebrows rose. "And the possibilities would be?"

She grinned at him. "I don't think you really want to discuss those in front of your brother."

Shane grimaced. "Oh, _gross!_ Sick, man!" He quickly pulled his head back into the van.

Nate chuckled and gave Ella a quick kiss. "_That_ is why I keep you around. The look on his face? _Classic_."

She laughed and kissed him back. "I'm glad I could help."

This time Mitchie poked her head out the window. "Will you two get in here please so that I'm not left alone to listen to him mutter and whine?"

"Fine, fine," Ella said with a chuckle as she bent down to pick up her travel bag. Nate took it from her and put the strap over his shoulder.

He motioned her toward the door of the van. "Ladies first."

"Thank you," She said as she reached up and gently patted his cheek. She stepped into the van and he quickly followed her.

He had a feeling this was going to be a good trip.

* * *

"I hate flying, I hate flying, I _hate_ flying," Mitchie muttered as they took their seats on the private plane. Shane smiled softly at her and put a hand on her knee.

"It'll be okay, Mitch," He told her.

"It better be or I'm blaming you, Jason, and Caitlyn for my untimely death," Mitchie told him with a nervous sigh.

He chuckled and leaned over to kiss her temple. "And I'm sure we would all gladly take the blame."

Ella gave Nate a worried glance as they sat down as well. "Are _you_ okay?"

"Me? Yeah, I'm good. I'm great. I am beyond—"

"Nate," Ella said with a glare and an amused grin. "Let's try some honesty, okay?"

He cleared his throat. "I should be fine once we get past take off, unless, you know there's turbulence…"

She reached over and squeezed his hand. "I'm sure we'll be okay."

"Yes, because musicians _never_ die in plane crashes," Nate deadpanned.

Ella's eyebrows rose and she laughed loudly. He glared at her and she took deep breaths to calm herself. "I—I'm sorry, really, but you're just too cute."

Brown joined them on the plane then and smiled at them. He gave Mitchie and Nate knowing concerned glances. "Hello, kids, how are we on this fine morning? Everyone taking deep _calm _breaths?"

"Good morning," Dana said brightly as she came onto the plane behind him. "Ready for take off?"

Mitchie glared at them both. "I really dislike people who _like_ flying. You're both too excited for my tastes."

Dana rolled her eyes and grinned. "As much as you fly, Mitch, you'd think you'd have gotten over it."

"I only fly when I absolutely have to," Mitchie told her.

"A _very_ good philosophy," Nate agreed with gulp and a nod.

Peggy and Barron boarded the plane and paused behind Brown and Dana.

"Are we gonna sit and get buckled up or are we gonna be risk takers and stand up for take off?" Barron asked with a quirked brow.

"Nate and Mitchie are nervous. We're calming them down," Dana told them.

"No, you're really not. You may think you are, but you're not," Nate said with a shake of his head. "Can you all please _sit down_?"

Ella reached over and rubbed Nate's arm comfortingly before she turned to the people that were still standing. "If you really want to help, pick some seats and buckle up. The sooner we're all secure the sooner we can get this flight over with."

"Andy not coming, Dana?" Peggy asked as she and Barron picked their seats.

Dana sat down and pulled at her seat belt as she spoke. "He, Tess, and Luke are catching a flight tonight after their show. They're meeting us at the house tomorrow morning."

"Cutting it kind of close, aren't they?" Shane asked.

Dana shrugged. "They don't exactly have a choice. Tonight's show is sold out."

"Well, if Caitlyn asks, he's getting in tonight," Mitchie told Dana with a pointed look. "Him getting there _late_ tonight will sound much better to her than _early_ tomorrow morning. Her mother is driving her crazy _enough_."

Ella chuckled. "She's going to be so crazed by the time we get there. She's been at that house with her mother for _how_ long now?"

"Two days," Mitchie said with a smirk.

"Hey," Nate said. "Our mom's been there too. She'll hold down the crazy. She always does."

"She better do the same thing for us," Ella said. "Heaven only knows what kind of crazy _my mother_'s going to bring to the wedding. I know she said she's not paying for it, but she's still going to want to have a say in the plans. I know she is."

"Your mother's not paying for your wedding?" Peggy asked.

Ella sighed. "No, but it doesn't matter as long as she's going to be there."

"Well, tell her if she's not paying for it so she has no say. That's what I'd do," Dana said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I still can't believe how _insane_ your parents are being over this. I mean my dad wasn't _thrilled_ about Andy, but he got over it. And, in case you forgot, my dad is _Axel Turner_."

Brown chuckled and gave Dana an amused look. "I don't think anybody could forget _that_."

Ella shrugged and Nate reached over and laced his fingers with hers. "My family has always been exceptionally dysfunctional. I sort of expected the insanity."

The flight attendant stood at the front of the plane and announced they would be taking off any minute, and gave the mandatory speech about safety precautions and things to do in the event of an emergency. Ella smirked as Nate's hand tightened around hers as the plane started to move. She lightly rubbed her free hand over his forearm.

"Relax, Nate," She said softly. "Everything will be fine."

"I appreciate the assurance, but I think I'll wait till we land to believe it."

She chuckled and leaned toward him. "Nate, look at me."

His eyes met hers and she smiled warmly at him.

"The pilot knows what he's doing. He'll get us there safely. If it helps, pretend we're on your tour bus. We're safely on the ground, driving on quiet unpopulated roads."

"Ella, on a bus there's not a window that looks over the _ocean_."

She reached over and pulled the shade closed on the window next to her. "Then don't look out the window." She pressed her lips against his and pulled back slowly. "We're on the tour bus, Nate. The ground is right underneath us, and you're perfectly safe. Just keep saying that to yourself. If you need me to I'll keep saying it until you believe it."

He chuckled at her. "You would?"

She nodded and squeezed his hand. "Anything for you, sweetie."

He kissed her lips again and then rested his forehead against hers. "Then just stay here and distract me, okay?"

She smiled. "Will do. How would you like to be distracted?"

"_That's_ a dangerous question," He said with an evil grin.

She gave him a warm yet stern glare. "We're not alone, Nate. Keep that in mind."

"And what if I don't care?" He asked with a smirk.

She laughed lightly. "Nate, we're not going to make out in front of your brother and your uncle."

He pouted. "Please?"

"That pout is not going to win this one, Gray."

He blinked at her in shock. "No?"

She shook her head. "No."

He sighed. "Fine, then I guess I'll just sit here and freak out about how we're fighting gravity and launching a big metal _thing_ into the sky."

She groaned. "Na-_ate, _you're not playing fair."

"Just a little making out? Shane's not even acknowledging us. He's preoccupied with Mitchie."

"And Brown?"

"I, um, he's on the other end of the plane?"

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Nice try, but no."

She dug through her purse and pulled out a small paperback book.

"How about a crossword puzzle? You love those."

He glared playfully at her. "You're mean."

The flight attendant appeared then and told them they were now free to roam about the cabin, and Ella smirked at him. "But I kept you distracted didn't I?"

He laughed softly and nodded. "I suppose you did."

* * *

The plane landed and Mitchie and Nate were the first ones off the plane. They rushed through the girls waiting for them with leis and met the security van on the small airport tarmac. Ella and Shane exchanged amused looks as they both took their time meeting up with them.

"C'mon, people, let's get out of here," Mitchie said as she motioned for everyone to hurry. "The further away from airplanes I get the more comfortable I'll be."

Nate didn't say anything but impatiently tapped his foot and shifted nervously.

"Calm down, Mitch. You're on the ground. You're not going to be forced back onto the plane just because you're standing on the tarmac," Shane said with an small smile.

"I don't want to _be_ on the tarmac, Shane. I want to be in the van and on the road to the house."

"You realize we still have to wait on them to unload the luggage, right?" Ella asked Mitchie with a grin.

"I, uh-_no_," Mitchie said with a sigh. "Dammit."

"Well, I'm sure if we'll all get in the van they'll load it up faster," Nate said urgently as he opened the door and motioned for everyone to step inside. Ella wrapped her arms around Nate's chest and stood on her tip toes to kiss the edge of his jaw.

"We're here, Nate. There's solid earth underneath you again. We don't have to hurry."

His shoulders relaxed and he released a long breath. "I know. I know. I just need a few minutes to adjust."

Ella took his hand and climbed into the van. She pulled him in behind her and sat them down in the very back seat. Once he was seated she wrapped her arms around his chest again and snuggled her head into his shoulder. He let out a shaky sigh and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"You're here," Ella said softly. "I'm here. And we're both completely safe. You can relax now, Nate. I mean, come on, we're in _Hawaii_. This place _actually is_ paradise."

He chuckled quietly and kissed the top of her head. "I'm so glad you're here."

She sighed happily and closed her eyes. "I'm glad I'm here too."

"And _I'm_ glad I didn't just walk in on the two of you making out," Shane mumbled as he and Mitchie settled into the seat in front of them.

"Leave them alone," Mitchie said with a chuckle. "They're adorable."

Everyone else quickly joined them in the van and they took off toward the house Caitlyn and Jason had rented for the next two weeks. There were three days until the wedding and then the two of them would also be staying there for their honeymoon. The wedding party would be staying at the house until the morning after the wedding, and the wedding guests would be staying at a very nice hotel not far from the house where the ceremony would also be taking place.

For tonight, though, they all had nothing to do. They were going to get settled into their rooms, have dinner with Caitlyn, Jason, and their parents, and then the rest of the night was up to them. Ella, for her part, planned on spending quite a bit of time on the beach. And she _hoped_ to persuade Nate to join her.

Ella opened one of her suitcases and dug through it. Knowing Nate he would try and crash until dinner. They didn't have a lot of unplanned time, and Ella wanted to take advantage of the little that they _did_ have. She only had a few minutes before he got out of the shower. She needed to be ready when he got out or else she'd be walking the beach by herself. She smirked as she finally found what she needed.

Her most _lethal_ weapon.

Her little black dress.

She could always persuade him to agree with her in _this_ dress. She slipped it on very quickly and clipped back one side of her hair with a silver flower barrette. She touched up her eye shadow and liner, and reapplied her lip gloss just to give her a little more of an edge. She opened her jewelry travel case and picked out her favorite matching pieces. She brushed her hair back off of her shoulders _just_ as the bathroom door opened. The more Nate saw of her neck and shoulders the better.

He froze with his hand on the door knob and very slowly looked her up and down. And considering he was only wearing his boxers…she did the same. His hair was wet, but not dripping. He had a towel slung over his shoulder as he smirked at her.

"You look…_nice_," He said with a gulp.

She smiled and twirled in front of him. "Really? You think? I've had this dress _forever_. It's my old stand by."

"I remember it," He said without looking away from her. After several minutes he tore his eyes away and returned to his suitcase. "You're ready for dinner awfully early."

"Well, I won't have time when I get back."

His brow furrowed as he unfolded one of his t-shirt. "Get back from where?"

"Walking the beach."

"You're going to walk the beach dressed like _that_," He said as he paused and turned to look her up and down one more time. "_Alone_?"

She shrugged and held back a grin. "No one else felt like going, and I know you like to rest after flying. So, I don't really have a choice."

He bit his lip and spoke up hesitantly. "Could you at least wear a sweater?"

"A sweater? Nate, I'll be warm, and I didn't bring anything that matches."

His quirked a brow at her and motioned to her suitcases. "You don't have anything that goes with that _black_ dress in _either_ of those bags? Not a single thing that could _maybe_ cover your shoulders?"

"We're in Hawaii. I shouldn't have to cover my shoulders," She said with a chuckle. She grabbed her cross body bag off the table and slipped the strap over her shoulders. "I'll be back before dinner."

"I—no, just—wait," he said with a sigh as he slipped a white t-shirt over his head. "Let me get dressed and I'll go with you."

She smiled at him as he quickly grabbed a pair of jeans out of his suitcase. "Nate, you don't have to, really—"

"Believe me, I do. If you go out there dressed like that you'll have strange men throwing themselves at you, and I trust you and all, but that makes me a _bit_ uncomfortable. So, yes, I do _have_ to go with you. Just to make sure people realize you're taken," He said in a grumpy tone as he stepped into his jeans and then turned to pull a pressed button up shirt out of the closet.

"Gee, you don't have to sound so thrilled about it," Ella said with a lop-sided smile.

He paused as he slipped his arms into the sleeves and looked up at her. "I had a tone, didn't I?"

She chuckled softly. "Yeah, just a bit."

He winced. "Sorry. Really, you know I can't hear myself sometimes." He motioned to his outfit before he spoke again. "Is this nice enough for dinner or should I wear my khakis?"

She smiled warmly at him and slowly approached. She smoothed out the wrinkles in the shirt and fixed his collar. "Tuck in your shirt; wear those brown leather dress shoes you brought, the belt that matches, and your brown fedora. You'll be perfect."

"And _that's_ why you're the stylist and I'm the musician," Nate said with an affectionate smile as he kissed her lips softly. He pulled away to look her in the eyes. "I _am_ sorry about my tone, by the way."

She grinned at him. "I know, and you can make it up to me by taking a walk on the beach."

He nodded. "I'd be happy to. Could you get the belt and the hat from my suitcase?"

She pulled the belt out of one of the front pockets and then rolled her eyes when she found the hat buried under the rest of his clothes. "Nate, you really have to start taking better care of your hats. This one is practically crushed."

She handed him the belt and reshaped the hat as he tucked in he pulled the belt through the loops of his jeans. Once he was done with the belt she stood up on her tip toes and placed the hat on his head.

"There good as new and you look very handsome," She told him with a bright smile.

"Good. I have to look like I can get a gorgeous girl like you," He said as he leaned forward and kissed her temple.

She blushed and leaned into the kiss slightly. "Shoes. You need shoes before we can leave."

Nate quickly found shoes and they left their room and headed for the beach hand in hand. Just before they reached the shore line she paused, and grabbed his arm for balance.

"Wait, wait," She said.

"What?" Nate asked.

She reached down and slipped her sandals off of her feet. "I want to feel the sand. You should take yours off too. If you keep them on you'll just get sand in them that will _never_ really come out."

He smirked and looped an arm around her shoulders. He leaned on her heavily and she squealed as his weight pushed her toward the water. "Okay, if you want me to get my shoes off you're going to have to hold still."

She laughed and shoved him away. "You're a jerk."

"You love me for it and you know it," He said as he took off his shoes and set them down in the sand. He tugged at her hand and pulled her back toward him. "Let's not walk. Let's just…enjoy where we are."

She smiled at him and placed her sandals down next to his dress shoes. She took his hand and pulled him toward the water. "C'mon, roll up your jeans."

Ella stepped into the water until it was just at her ankles. She turned to face Nate as he rolled up the bottom of his jeans. While he was bent over she knelt in the water and suddenly splashed him with both hands. He yelped and jumped backwards as she laughed at him.

"Oh, you are going to pay for that, Ms. Pador," Nate said as he charged into the water after her. She squealed and ran from him. He splashed water at her as he chased her and she squealed even louder. Finally he was close enough to reach her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her backwards against him. He lifted her feet out of the water, and held her there. "What would you do if I dropped you in the water right now?"

Ella gasped. "You wouldn't! I would _hurt_ you! This is my favorite dress!"

"Yes, I know," He said with a chuckle. He leaned close to her ear and whispered. "Don't think I don't realize _why_ you wear it because I do. I know _all_ too well what this dress does to me."

She shivered slightly at the feeling of his breath on her neck. Her feet touched the we sand again and his lips softly kissed her neck below her jaw. Her breath caught in her throat and she turned in his arms. She smiled evilly at him. "So _what_ does this dress do to you exactly?"

He chuckled at her knowingly and pulled her tighter against him. "It just happens to show off everything about you that drives me crazy, and don't pretend you don't know that because you _do_. I was with you when you bought this dress if you recall. What was that…date number three?"

She nodded. "I was testing your shopping tolerance."

"Is that what you were doing?" He asked as his eyebrows rose and he smiled teasingly at her. "Testing me? Obviously, I passed. What grade did I pass with?"

"B minus. You got a little whiney at the end and you didn't buy a single thing for yourself," Ella said seriously before her face broke into a smile. "_But_ it wasn't anything I couldn't fix. You just needed to build up endurance."

"What about buying things for myself? I still don't really do that unless it's music related," He pointed out with a challenging look.

"That's why you have me, silly. To buy you things," Ella told him with a wink. "_Or_ to buy _me_ things that make your heart race, either way you benefit from it."

"Is that why you bought this dress?" He asked as his hand absently rubbed circles on her back.

She flashed him a sneaky smile. "Can you blame me? You should have seen your face when I stepped out of that dressing room. For a second I thought you were going to pounce on me right there in the store."

"It definitely crossed my mind," He admitted with a smirk. "I managed to control myself though."

She laughed. "Yes, until after dinner. We didn't even get inside your house or _out_ of the car."

He smiled easily at her as his face hovered in front of hers. "Don't act like that bothered you. I'm fairly certain you didn't mind one bit. You were having just as many control issues as I was."

She blushed as he leaned closer. "You had your sleeves rolled up and you were wearing that gray vest…it made your arms and shoulders stand out. You looked really, um, fit. Like right now, actually."

Nate's lips just barely brushed against hers and Ella brought her arms to his neck and prepared herself for the full kiss. She sighed happily as his arms tightened around her. This night was perfect. They were on a romantic beach at sunset and they were…

"Nate! Ella! Whatcha do—OH! Whoops."

…all alone.

Nate groaned and pulled away and Ella sent a glare at Shane.

Shane smirked slowly at them and continued to approach. "Hey, you two. Havin' a little fun in the sand are we? You know they have private cabanas closer to the house for this sort of thing. Or do they even call them cabanas in Hawaii? Nate, what's the Hawaiian word for cabana?"

"I don't know, maybe it's 'Go _away_, Shane," Nate said dryly with a sigh.

"Dude, that's not even _close_ to correct. You're losing your touch, man. You're supposed to be a walking encyclopedia or something."

"Shane, where's Mitchie?" Ella asked pointedly.

"Um, she said something about helping Cait find an outfit for tonight, I think."

Ella's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Yeah, apparently she got something on her dress and now she doesn't have anything to wear tonight."

Ella sighed and turned back to Nate. "I'd better go help. Mitchie tries but she's really no good in a fashion emergency."

"Do you _have_ to?" He asked as he reluctantly released her.

She grinned at him. "Yes. I can't resist."

"Why?" He asked with a soft whine.

She laughed at him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Do you remember Andy and Dana's engagement party?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember what you said you _had_ to do when the band called and said they had car trouble?" Ella asked him with a pointed look.

"I convinced the guys to play."

"Exactly," She said with a grin. "_This_ is like that…only with fashion instead of music."

"Fine," He said with a sigh. He smiled at her and kissed her lips quickly. "Go work your magic on Caitlyn. I'll see you at dinner."

"Thank you," She said as she kissed him softly in return. She winked at him. "I'll make it up to you later."

"That a promise?" He asked.

She nodded and smirked. "That's a promise."

"Somebody's gonna score tonight," Shane said as he and Nate watched Ella walk away.

Nate turned a glare on him and shoved Shane backwards lightly. Shane stumbled and fell back into the shallow water as it lapped onto the shore. He yelped and jumped back up.

"Du-_ude_! Not cool, man! Now I have sand all over my _black_ pants," Shane huffed as he tried to brush himself off. "Guess I have to go _change_ now. _Thanks_, Nate."

Nate smirked at him. "Anytime, Shane. Anytime."

* * *

Ella knocked on Caitlyn and Jason's door. The door opened and Jason stood there smiling brightly at her. He wrapped Ella in a hug and pulled her inside.

"So glad you're here," Jason said quietly. "Caity's freaking out and Mitchie's really not helping."

Ella chuckled. "I figured as much." Ella glanced around the suite style room. It was very nice. It had a sitting room, a kitchenette, and a bedroom. "Are they in the bedroom?"

"Yes, I honestly think they've dumped out Caity's _entire_ suitcase."

She patted Jason's shoulder and grinned at him. "Go take a walk, Jase. I'll fix it."

"You're the best, Ella. Nate's a very lucky guy. Have I ever told you that?"

She laughed. "Flattery is not necessary, Jase. Just go."

He saluted before he quickly and wordlessly left the room.

"Cait?" Ella called as she approached the bedroom.

"Ella?" Caitlyn called in response. "Oh, thank God! _Help_ me!"

Ella pushed the bedroom door open and her eyes widened. Jason wasn't kidding. Caitlyn's clothes were _everywhere_ and her suitcase was completely empty. "Wow. What happened in here?"

"I have _nothing_ to wear for tonight, Ella. _Nothing_. And I can't just pull out one of my other outfits because then I won't have an outfit for _another_ day. What do I do?" Caitlyn asked as she paced around the piles of clothes.

"Caitlyn," Mitchie said with a chuckle from her spot on the edge of the bed. "Calm down. You've got plenty of clothes. We'll find something."

Ella nodded. "We will. We definitely will." Ella walked around the room and picked up the things that wouldn't work and put them back in the suitcase. Anything that was obviously an outfit for something else was put back as well. All that remained on the floor were things that could be worn more than once with lots of other items. She picked up something teal, shear, and lacy. "This."

Caitlyn stared at her like she was crazy. "That's a bathing suit cover up."

Ella rolled her eyes. "I know, just trust me for a second, okay?" She picked up something else and tossed it to Mitchie. "And that."

"Once again," Caitlyn said with a sigh. "That's a bathing suit cover up."

Ella stopped and put her hands on her hips. "Do you want my help or not?"

"Of course, I do."

"Then shush, and let me work."

Ella walked around for a bit longer and picked up a black belt and a Gray camisole. She handed Caitlyn the sheer teal cover up and the camisole.

"Put on the cover up with the camisole underneath it. And then put the black cover up on as well, but just up to the drawstring for the skirt leave the top half down. Then come back out here and we'll put it all together."

Caitlyn reluctantly took the three things into the bathroom and changed. She came back out and looked down at herself dubiously. "Ella…this is weird."

She chuckled. "I'm not done yet. Hold still." Ella sat on her knees in front of Caitlyn and pulled the top half of the black strapless cover up down around Caitlyn's thighs. It stopped an inch above her knee. Ella tucked the elastic underneath one more time. "Anybody have a bobby pin?"

"Yep, I do," Mitchie said as she pulled one out of her pocket and handed it to her.

"Thank you," Ella said as she pinned the elastic with the bobby pin to keep it from coming unfolded. "There."

Mitchie's eyes widened and she smiled. "It's a pencil skirt. I mean it's not _technicall_y, but it looks like one."

Ella nodded and wrapped the black belt just above Caitlyn's hips and buckled it tightly. Ella stepped back and looked Caitlyn up and down before smiling in approval. The belt made the cover up look like an actual top. "Done. Now we just need shoes and jewelry."

"Done?" Caitlyn asked as she peeked back into the bathroom and found the full length mirror. Her eyebrows rose. "Woah. Ella you're a genius. This looks like a real outfit."

She laughed and shook her head. "After all these years, you still doubt me?"

Caitlyn smiled brightly at her. "I won't any more. Believe me."

They picked out jewelry to match and did Caitlyn's make up, and just as they finished the door to the suite opened and Jason called out to them. "Did you ladies find something for Caity to wear? We only have a half hour until we have to meet everyone and I really need to start—" The bedroom door opened and Jason cut himself off. He smiled brightly at Caitlyn. "Caity…"

"Yes?" Caitlyn asked knowingly.

"You look beautiful," He told her as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Is it safe for me to get ready now?"

The girls laughed and Caitlyn nodded. "Yes, and you should hurry. The two of us should probably be early."

"Alright, well," Ella said. "If you don't need me anymore I'm going to go track down my fiancé. Hopefully he got away from Shane or we might have a death on our hands."

Mitchie sighed. "What did he do this time?"

Ella grinned at her as they left. "Nothing he doesn't normally do. You know he really has the absolute worst timing ever."

Mitchie laughed and opened the door. "Let me guess…he interrupted a moment?"

"Doesn't he always?" Ella asked as she followed Mitchie through and then closed it behind her.

Mitchie smiled at her and nodded. "He does tend to enjoy annoying Nate, yes."

Ella paused. "Wait, he does that on purpose? I thought he just _happened_ to find us at just the right moment."

"Oh no, Shane completely tortures Nate on purpose. _But_ I'll tell you what…I'll try and keep him as distracted as possible while we're here, okay? That way you guys can have some uninterrupted alone time. Sound good?"

Ella hugged her friend and smiled brightly. "You are the absolute _best_. Really, have I ever told you how much I love you?"

* * *

Ella and Mitchie headed down to the living room and found Shane and Nate waiting.

"You're actually here early," Mitchie said in an impressed tone as she looped her arm through Shane's.

"Blame him. I was playing Ms. Pac-Man in the game room, and he pulled me away. I was getting close to the high score too," Shane muttered.

Nate rolled his eyes. "You were not. Your score was terrible."

Ella laughed and wrapped her arms around Nate's chest. He placed an arm around her shoulders and held her to him. "Jason and Cait should be down soon."

"My score was not terrible," Shane said with a glare.

"Whatever you say, Shane," Nate said with a smirk.

"We still have about 25 minutes," Ella told them as she glanced down at her watch.

"Well, we can't go outside," Nate told her. "They're setting up dinner on the patio."

She sighed and stuck out her bottom lip. "Fine, but as soon as dinner's over we're going out to walk on the beach."

He chuckled at her and leaned toward her ear to whisper. "It's a deal as long as we make it up to the room sometime before morning. You owe me for leaving me with Shane all afternoon."

She blushed and smirked at him. "Deal."

He laughed softly at the pinkness of her cheeks before he placed a slow kiss on her lips. When he pulled away he winked at her. "So, did you find anything for Cait?"

"Ella's like…the MacGyver of fashion. She could make an outfit out of a bed sheet and a rubber band," Mitchie said with a smirk. "Caitlyn looks amazing thanks to her."

Ella shrugged and smiled at Mitchie. "It's my job. No big deal."

Nate shook his head and kissed her temple. "You know, I love that you're modest, but sometimes I really don't think you give yourself enough credit. It's not just your _job_, El, it's your _talent_."

Mitchie smiled warmly at the couple and then pulled at Shane's arm. "C'mon."

"What? Where are we going?" Shane asked.

"We're going to go find Dana and see if she's heard from Andy."

"Why?" Shane asked. "We could just ask her at dinner."

"Fine, then let's go find a closet to make out in or something," Mitchie said with a chuckle.

"Seriously? Cause I'm _totally_ up for that," Shane said as he let Mitchie pull him away.

Mitchie laughed as they walked away. "Just come on, pop star."

Nate sat down on one of the couches and pulled Ella down with him. She snuggled into his side and closed her eyes. The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"This might be the most peace and quiet we've had since we left home," Nate said with a smile as he kissed the top her head.

She hummed happily. "It's nice."

He took in her peaceful expression and closed eyes before he grinned and poked her side. "Hey, don't you fall asleep on me, Pador. We've got plans, remember?"

"But it's so cozy and comfortable in here," She said as she buried her head in his chest. "And I have a _great_ pillow."

He laughed softly. "This pillow wanted to take a nap earlier today, but _somebody_ wanted to go walk on the beach. Maybe we should have stuck with my plan. We could have spent the whole afternoon being 'cozy and comfortable' that way."

"Hush, I'm trying to sleep. I have twenty minutes to nap," She said with closed eyes and an amused grin.

"Oh no, I didn't get to nap earlier so _you_ don't get to nap now," He said as he poked her side a little more forcefully. She whined and tried to move away, but he quickly poked her other side. She squealed softly and wiggled.

"Na-_ate!_ Sto-_op_!"

His fingers began to lightly tickle her sides and she smiled and squirmed.

"Nate!" She yelled as she began to laugh. "Not fair!"

He smirked as he continued to tickle her. "Open your eyes, Ella, and sit up and I'll stop."

She groaned and pouted but did as he asked. "Meanie."

He laughed and kissed her forehead. "You gave me no choice."

"Aw, aren't you two just precious."

Nate and Ella snapped around to find Caitlyn smiling at them in amusement.

"Really, I think I got a few cavities just from witnessing that."

"Hello, Cait," Nate said with a sigh. "You're early."

"I could say the same for the two of you," She said as she sat down on the couch that was across from theirs. "What have you guys been up to this evening?"

"We played on the beach a bit," Ella told her. "And then I helped you. Since then we've just been sitting. Enjoying the quiet."

"Quiet? I don't remember this word. What does it mean again?" Caitlyn asked dryly as she leaned back on the couch.

Jason joined them then. "What word?"

He sat down next to Caitlyn and put a hand on her knee.

"Quiet. Caitlyn's forgotten the word quiet," Nate said with a smirk.

Jason laughed. "I'm sorry, did she ever actually _know_ that word?"

Caitlyn's jaw dropped and she smacked his arm. "Jerk!"

He moved his hand from her knee and wrapped it around her shoulders as he pulled her to him. He brought his other arm around and crushed her in a hug, and then held her there. She squirmed and tried to pull away but he just held her tighter. "C'mon, you know you've never been _quiet_ a single day in your life."

"Jason, let me go."

He smirked and shook his head. "Nope. I refuse."

She pushed at his shoulders and squirmed and he just held her tighter. "Jason!"

He buried his head in her neck and placed a very brief kiss there. She froze, and relaxed instantly. He pulled his head up and smirked victoriously at her. He looked back at Nate and Ella with a smile. "So, have you two picked a date yet?"

"No," Ella said. "We have to talk to Brown first and _somebody_ keeps forgetting."

Nate sighed. "I'm sorry. You know how I get when we're recording. Everything that's not music tends to get lost in the shuffle."

Caitlyn chuckled at them. "That's a family thing. Jason's the same way. Have you guys met my wedding planner yet? I think you'd really like her."

"I have met her actually," Ella said. "Marlene, right? The red head that yells a lot?"

Caitlyn laughed. "That's her. But she doesn't normally yell. The florist we hired is just really, really deaf. He's like 89, but _brilliant_. I don't think I could have survived this without her. She's kept my mother in check by some amazing miracle."

Ella's eyebrows rose. "Really? You think she'd be able to keep _my_ mother in check?"

Caitlyn smirked. "Marlene can do anything. She's the _queen_ of double talk. Really, she's my hero."

Ella grinned at her. "Then, please, remind me to talk to her before we leave Hawaii."

Peggy and Barron walked into the room and joined them. They sat down next to Caitlyn and Jason and looked around the room.

"Where is everybody?" Barron asked as he slipped his arm around Peggy.

"Shane and Mitchie left to find a closet," Nate said with a chuckle. "But they should be back soon."

"My parents are still getting ready," Caitlyn said. "And I think Dana's still on the phone with Andy."

"_My_ parents were straitening out the rehearsal dinner plans with Marlene. They'll be here in a few minutes," Jason told them.

"What did you two do today?" Ella asked Peggy.

"We took a nap," Peggy answered with a smile. "It was _great_."

Nate smirked at Ella knowingly, and then turned back to Peggy. "Yes, naps _are_ great. I _tried_ to talk Ella into that, but no-_oo_. We couldn't do that—_Ow!_"

Nate rubbed his arm where Ella smacked him and she rolled her eyes.

"You keep this up, Nathaniel, and after dinner I'll just go upstairs and catch up on my napping _alone_ for the _rest_ of the night."


	7. Jaitlyn Wedding, Part Two

**A/N:** Okay, guys I have a **poll** up on my **profile**. I want to know what story you guys think I should post next so please go **vote** and let me know! :)

Happy reading!

angellwings

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Chapter Seven: Jaitlyn Wedding, Part Two

* * *

A loud buzzing sounded from somewhere to Nate's right and he growled and blindly reached toward it. He heard a soft whine from the bundle that was snuggled into his chest as his hand slammed down on top of the alarm clock. The buzzing stopped and Nate slowly opened his eyes. He looked down at his chest and smiled sleepily at the top of Ella's head. He placed a kiss there, and rubbed her arm.

"Did you set the alarm?" Ella asked sleepily.

"No, the last person who stayed in this room must have," he said with a sigh.

"What _time_ is it?" Ella asked as she squinted at the sunlight streaming through the window.

He glanced over at the alarm clock and groaned. "Eight in the morning."

"Oh my God, why? We're in Hawaii, and we have nothing to do until six o'clock. Why are we up? We were up far too late last night to be awake right now."

"Yes we were," He said with a smirk. "Totally worth it, though."

Ella chuckled and hummed happily. "Definitely worth it."

Nate's stomach growled and Ella chuckled again.

"We're going to have to get up aren't we?" She asked knowingly.

"My stomach apparently wants food. Sorry, I can't help it. What about you? Are you hungry?" He asked as he pulled her closer.

She shrugged. "I could eat, I guess. Since it's _your_ stomach that's making us get out of bed, can I have the first shower?"

He chuckled. "Fine, just save me some hot water, please?"

She grinned at him as she sat up. "I make no promises."

She grabbed her robe off the floor and wrapped it around her as she walked to the bathroom. She smiled at her reflection. Her hair was a mess and she still had traces of make up on her face. She didn't really mind though. The mornings she woke up like this were often her favorites. She knew that as soon as the girls saw her she'd be in for some teasing. She was definitely glowing a little today. The girls would notice that.

She ran her fingers through her hair and attempted to straighten out a few knots before she hopped in the shower. It was no good though. They were stuck. She pulled her hair to one side in order to try one last time, but the minute she picked her hair up off of her neck she froze.

"Shit!" She cursed as she examined her neck. "God, Nate!"

He immediately stuck his head into the bathroom. "What? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"You gave me a _hickey_!" She yelled as she pointed to the dark red mark on her neck.

He blinked at her in confusion. "So?"

"Nate! In two days I have to wear a _strapless_ dress. How am I supposed to keep this hidden?" She asked frantically.

He shrugged. "I don't know; keep your hair over it? That's what you usually do."

"Caitlyn's going to have her hair down at the wedding," She told him with a glare.

"Again I ask, _so_?"

"The bridesmaids have to have their hair _up_. That means I can't use my hair to hide it, and I don't think concealer will cover it up either! I mean, it might make it lighter, but—oh my God. Caitlyn is going to _kill_ me. You just _had_ to give me a hickey, didn't you? You couldn't help yourself," She said with a frustrated sigh as she turned to look at Nate.

He smirked at her in amusement. "No, I couldn't. _You_ were the one who decided to wear that dress."

"Well, I—you—_ugh!_ Stop smirking at me! I can't yell at you when you smirk like that!"

He laughed softly and stepped into her space. He used the loose collar of her robe to pull her against him. "Maybe," He said with a mischievous grin. "I should just give you another one on the _other_ side of your neck. At least then it would be symmetrical."

She smiled slowly as he snaked his arms around her waist. She tried to wiggle away but he held her tighter. She giggled as she shoved gently at his shoulders. "Nate! Don't you dare."

She whined as she felt his lips land on her neck. She placed a hand on either side of his face and pulled him back.

She glared playfully at him. "I thought you were hungry?"

"My stomach can wait a bit longer," He said with a lop-sided grin. He pulled her hands away and placed his lips on the corner of her jaw just below her ear.

She relaxed in his arms almost instantly. "Fine, but do _not_ give me another hickey, Mister."

* * *

When Nate and Ella finally made it downstairs the staff was just getting ready to put breakfast away.

"Oh," Caitlyn said with a smirk when she saw them. She stopped a woman from taking away a bowl full of fruit. "We have a couple of late comers. Could you leave everything out for just a bit longer?"

"Of course, Miss," The woman said cheerfully as she returned to the kitchen.

Jason chuckled at them as they sat down. "You two almost missed breakfast. Late night?"

Caitlyn laughed and nudged Jason's shoulder. "Or early morning."

"Knowing them, though," Jason said with a teasing smile. "Probably both."

Caitlyn and Jason laughed lightly as Ella blushed and Nate glared.

"And why are you two eating so late?" Nate asked.

Jason blushed and cleared his throat while Caitlyn chuckled.

"For all the same reasons, Nate," Caitlyn said with a grin.

Ella brushed her hair back over her shoulder as she reached for a piece of toast and Caitlyn gasped. Ella paused and fearfully looked up at the bride-to-be.

"Ella, is that a hickey?" Caitlyn asked.

Ella bit her bottom lip and pointed at Nate. "His fault! Yell at him! Not me!"

"Hey!" Nate yelled as he grabbed her finger and pointed it away from him. He looked up at Caitlyn and Jason. "_She_ wore that black dress! It's not like I could stop myself."

Caitlyn laughed at them. "Why would I yell at anyone?"

"Well, be—because the dresses are strapless and you want us to wear our hair up?" Ella said hesitantly.

"It's not a big deal, Ella. Wear your hair down if you want. Or wear it up and let everyone see the hickey. I don't care. I never conceal mine," Caitlyn said with a shrug.

"Uh, o-okay," Ella said awkwardly. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, honestly, it's fine," Caitlyn smirked as she pushed her own hair back.

Ella spotted the red mark on Caitlyn's neck and laughed. "_Oh_, I see."

"It seems that outfit you put together for me last night worked out _really_ well," Caitlyn told her as she leaned into Jason slightly.

Jason cleared his throat again and put an arm around Caitlyn's shoulders. "Yeah, ah, thanks for that, Ella. You're very good at your job."

"So," Caitlyn said as she picked up her coffee mug and looked at Ella. "What's the plan for today?"

"Well, all of us girls are having lunch at around one, and then you, Lola, and myself are going shopping while the other girls get the second floor living room ready. Then we come back here for the bachelorette party of the century," Ella told her with a secretive smile.

"I _totally_ can not wait," Caitlyn said excitedly. "You guys planned something amazing right?"

"Caitlyn, it's us. _Of course_, it's amazing."

"What are we doing, Nate?" Jason asked.

Nate shrugged. "I don't know. Shane took over the bachelor party stuff. He wouldn't let me near it."

Jason groaned. "Great. I should be scared, right?"

Nate nodded. "Very."

* * *

Nate glared at Shane from across the room. He'd hired a stripper. Jason had specifically told him not to, and now Jason was sitting in a chair with a terrified look on his face as a strange woman danced in front of him and touched him flirtatiously.

The stripper moved away from Jason for a moment and Nate decided enough was enough. He pulled Jason from the chair and led him quickly from the room. Once they were in the hall Jason gave Nate a relieved look.

"_Thank you_. I—that was very awkward for me."

Nate chuckled. "I could tell, Jase. You had that same look on your face the first time Shane made you watch _Saw_."

Jason shuddered. "I _hate_ that movie."

"Me too, honestly."

Jason paused thoughtfully. "You…you don't think the girls have a stripper do you?"

Nate's brow furrowed and he shook his head. "Nah, I don't think so."

* * *

"So, where's my stripper?" Caitlyn asked Ella eagerly.

Ella and Mitchie shared a look before Ella spoke. "We didn't hire one, Cait. We didn't think you'd want one."

"What? _Seriously?_" She asked with wide eyes. "This is my _bachelorette_ party, and I don't have a stripper? That's no fun!"

"I—we're sorry, Caity," Mitchie said as she bit her bottom lip. "I don't know if we can find one this late though—"

"Guys," Lola said suddenly with a smirk. "I totally have a solution. Hold on."

Lola ran off and made a phone call, and when she came back she grinned evilly at them. "So, funny story…I met this lifeguard on the beach today, and Sander was with me so I made a show of getting the guys number to make him jealous—"

The girls all laughed softly at her.

"What?" She asked defensively. "I have to get him to make a move _somehow_, don't I? _Anyway_, turns out hot life guard is a part time stripper. That managed to come up while he was pretending to flirt with me this afternoon. He's already on his way. I'm telling you, Caity, you will love him. He's _hot_."

There was a knock at the door and Lola wiggled her eyebrows at them. "That's him." Lola turned to Caitlyn and shoved her toward a chair. "Go find a seat, Bride-to-be. You're bachelorette party is about to begin."

* * *

Ella rubbed her eyes as she tiredly stumbled down the hall to her room. It was four in the morning. The party had gone until four in the morning. Alcohol, karaoke, and one very hot lifeguard-stripper made girls do some _very_ crazy things. She opened the door and found Nate sitting on the bed in sweats and a t-shirt. He smirked at her.

"Long party?" He asked with a laugh.

"Caitlyn is _insane_. I love her, but she's _crazy_."

"And you're just now realizing this?" He asked.

"No, no I knew it…I just didn't know to _what _degree until tonight."

"I'm guessing you're not going to let her plan _your_ bachelorette party?" He asked teasingly as he pulled back the covers on her side of the bed and patted the mattress. He got under covers himself as Ella joined him on the bed. She snuggled into his side.

"I'm not having a bachelorette party."

"You're not?" He asked in a surprised tone.

"No, I'm having a lingerie party."

His eyes widened. "That…sounds _way_ better than a bachelorette party. That means what I think it means right? People giving you _lots_ of lingerie?"

She laughed and kissed his jaw. "Yes, that's what it means."

"Yes, you should _definitely_ have one of those."

He rolled over on top of her and she squealed softly. "Na-_ate_, I'm tired!"

"You shouldn't have brought up lingerie. _Your_ fault," He said with a smirk before he began to kiss her neck. She tried to shove him away but he quickly pinned her wrists over her head. His lips finally found hers and she sighed happily. He pulled away and grinned at her. "Still tired?"

"Oh, just shut up and keep kissing me," She told him with a soft laugh. "I can sleep later."


	8. Jaitlyn Wedding, Part Three

**A/N:** Okay, guys. Here's the final Jaitlyn wedding chapter. :) Also that **poll** I told you guys about last time is still up. **One more week** to vote, and tell me what **story** you think I should **post next**. So **go vote** and let me know what you think! It's on my profile! :) Also I'm posting this early because today was crappy and I'm hoping for some encouraging reviews that will cheer me up. ;)

Happy reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Eight: Jaitlyn Wedding, Part 3

* * *

"And then the minister will say 'I now present for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Jason Allen Gray' and then Jason and Caitlyn will walk down the aisle," Marlene said as she motioned for Jason and Caitlyn to walk. She turned to and smiled warmly at Brown. "Followed by the best man and maid of honor. Brown and Mitchie."

Ella shared a smirk with Nate at Marlene's tone. Marlene and Brown had been flirting all day. Ella thought it was adorable, but Nate found it slightly disturbing.

"Alright, and now Nate and Ella."

She met him at the beginning of the aisle and accepted his outstretched arm.

"Good, very good. Okay, now Shane and Peggy…"

"I think your uncle has a potential girlfriend," Ella said with a grin.

Nate's nose wrinkled ever so slightly. "I'm happy for him, but the flirting is weirding me out."

Ella laughed and patted his arm with her other hand. "You're so adorable."

"I'm glad you find my discomfort so amusing."

"So," She asked quietly. "What do you think of Marlene?"

"I like her. She's good at her job, that's for sure," Nate told her. "But if we hire her…I'm going to have to hear more flirting. Brown's going to be my best man too. He doesn't know it yet, but that's the plan."

She smiled warmly at him. "Is that some kind of deal you and your brothers made or something? Jason picked him, you're picking him…is Shane going to as well?"

He nodded. "When Jason sat down to make his decision he told us he was choosing Brown because without Brown he wouldn't have met Cait and _we_ wouldn't have decided to have a band. And Shane and I agreed. Shane's never really said, but I'm sure that _whenever_ he and Mitchie decide to get married Brown will be his best man too."

"You three are just too sweet," Ella told him with a shake of her head. "You amaze me sometimes."

"What about your maid of honor?" He asked. "Have you figured that out yet?"

"Dana," She told him. His eyes widened and she laughed. "Don't give me that look. I was her maid of honor, it only makes sense that she be mine."

"It's not that," He said with a grin. "It's just seems a little weird that my ex is going to be your maid of honor."

She chuckled and tilted her head as they made it to the back of the church. "I didn't even think about that."

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek before he smiled at her. "And I love you even more for that."

Dana and Andy made it to the back of the church not long after that and Marlene clapped.

"Good! Alright, I think we're all set for tomorrow, kids," Marlene said with a chuckle. "Now let's go party."

They headed back toward the house and to the tent where the food was set up for the rehearsal dinner. Caitlyn and Jason's immediate families were joining the wedding party for the dinner. Jason and Caitlyn sat at a table with their parents and the grandparents from both sides while the rest of the wedding party sat at a table together. Andy smirked as their food was set down in front of them.

"Is this food good enough for you, Ella?" He asked her teasingly.

She glared playfully at him. "Yes, thank you. There are no mushrooms in garlic butter."

Nate laughed and put an arm around the back of her chair. "I don't think you're ever going to live that down."

She sighed. "I'm sorry I'm a picky eater? Okay?"

Nate laughed and kissed her temple. "No need to be sorry, Ells."

Mr. and Mrs. Gray stood up to make a speech. Mrs. Gray placed a hand on Caitlyn's shoulder before she spoke.

"We have known this young woman for quite a while," She said as she smiled down at Caitlyn. "The first time we met her was at a Parents Day at Camp Rock. I believe she was yelling at someone from Camp Star _just_ before Jason introduced us."

Luke cleared his throat and raised his hand proudly. "Yeah, that would be me."

Caitlyn laughed and rolled her eyes at him. "You _still_ need to get over yourself, Williams."

Mrs. Gray laughed and squeezed Caitlyn's shoulder. "She turned around and saw us and I don't think I had ever seen anyone's face turn so red. She was so embarrassed. And Jason just laughed. He laughed and then gave her a hug. And I knew that if anyone was going to be able to keep Jason grounded it would be her. Our Jason has always been a bit of a dreamer, and it's one of the things that makes him beautiful, _but_ Caitlyn keeps him from floating too far off the ground. Just like all of us she values the man he is, but _she_ makes him better."

Mr. Gray smiled at the couple. "We've watched her grow as well. There's no doubt that these two are perfectly matched. Caitlyn is a very colorful person, in the best way possible. She's a little crazy, and a little hyper. She's passionate. And passionate people, as I well know, can get carried away with their emotions."

Mrs. Gray smacked his arm. "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing, dear. Not a thing."

"Mhm," She said with a roll of her eyes.

He cleared his throat and continued. "_Jason_ understands that about Caitlyn. I've never seen anyone better at soothing her than him. They've got a long life together ahead of them, and none of us have any doubt that they'll be happy."

"Keep taking care of each other just as you are now," Mrs. Gray told them. "And happiness will follow you where ever you go." She held up her champagne glass and looked around the room. "To Jason and Caitlyn."

"To Jason and Caitlyn," The room repeated.

Ella turned to Nate and smiled brightly. "Have I ever told you how much I _love_ your parents?"

Mitchie smiled and nodded. "I have to agree with that. They're the most adorable couple I've ever seen."

"We're very lucky," Shane told the girls. "We know."

"That's right you're lucky," Mitchie told him with a smirk as she patted his cheek. "And don't you forget it."

Ella's brow furrowed as her phone vibrated. She recognized her mother's number.

"Oh this can _not_ be good," Ella said with a sigh as she hesitantly answered her phone. "Mom?"

"Hi, sweetie. So I talked to my florist today. You know the one I use for the office? Just wanted to let you know that I have your arrangements for the wedding all picked out. You can check that off your list—"

"Um, what?" Ella asked with wide eyes. "You did what? Mother, we don't even have a date yet. How could you have hired a florist already?"

Nate's eyebrows rose and he turned his attention to Ella's phone call.

"He owes me, dear. Believe me, it's all covered. You're going to love it. I've picked out greenery for the aisle—"

"Aisle? Mom, do you even know _where_ I'm getting married?"

"Well, in a church, of course."

Ella rubbed a hand across her brow. "Mom, you really should have waited to talk to _me_ about this first."

"I just thought I was making it a little easier on you, that's all. I mean it's not like you have a wedding planner to take care of these things."

"Y—yes I do. I totally have a wedding planner," Ella lied as she exchanged a guilty look with Nate. He grinned at her in amusement and shook his head. She gave him a pleading look and motioned to Marlene who was across the table from them. Ella turned away from the table and Nate looked over at Marlene. He bit back a grimace as he noticed Marlene leaning heavily into his uncle's shoulder.

"Marlene," Nate said as he cleared his throat. "Can I ask you a quick favor?"

"Sure," Marlene said brightly. "What's up, Nate?"

"Can Ella and I hire you? Like _now_?"

Her eyes widened and she opened her planner. "Now?"

"Yes, see, Ella's mother—"

Marlene laughed. "No need to explain, Nate. Demanding mothers of the brides are my specialty. What time span are we looking at here?"

Ella turned back around and held a hand over the receiver of the phone. "Spring sometime." She looked over at Brown. "We were hoping you'd let us have the wedding at camp."

Brown beamed at them. "You want to get married at camp?"

They nodded and gave him hopeful looks.

He chuckled and nodded. "Of course, you can get married at camp."

"So then sometime before the staff arrives," Nate said as he smiled gratefully at Brown. "April or May?"

"I'm free the second to last weekend in May," Marlene said. "My April is booked."

"The staff doesn't show up till the first week of June," Brown said. "That should be fine."

"Marlene," Nate said as he stuck out a hand for her to shake. She accepted it and he smiled. "You're hired."

"Oh thank God," Ella said with a sigh of relief. She held her cell phone out to Marlene with wide pleading eyes. "My mother went from picking out my flowers to trying to book a church. Help?"

Marlene laughed and took the phone. "Mrs. Pador?" She winced. "I'm sorry, Ms. Do. I apologize. I'm Marlene. Ella's wedding planner. She tells me you have some suggestion for the wedding? Well, I would be happy to listen to them and see how they fit in with what Ella and I have previously discussed."

Marlene stood from the table and left the tent to take the call. Ella sighed in relief and slouched against Nate's shoulder. She exhaled slowly and then smiled warmly at him. "Thank you for working that out so quickly."

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "You're welcome."

Ella stood from her chair and took Marlene's seat next to Brown. She gave him a quick hug and kissed his cheek. "And thank you for letting us use Camp Rock. We really appreciate it."

"It's not a problem, Ella. I'm still in shock that you want to get married at my little camp."

Ella shook her head. "It's not _little_ to all of us, Brown. Camp Rock changed all of us for the better. _You_ changed all of us for the better."

She patted his back and gave him one last hug.

"You know, if all of you keep telling me how important I am I'm going to develop a very large ego," Brown said with a chuckle as Ella stood up and returned to her seat.

"Uncle Brown, no matter how large your ego becomes it _can't_ be any bigger than Shane's," Nate told him with a smirk. "And we manage to put up with _him_ just fine."

"I heard that!" Shane said with a glare.

"You were supposed to," Nate told him with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh gosh," Ella said suddenly as she turned to Nate. "We have a wedding date. We're getting married in May. That's…_three_ months. Oh my God, we have twelve weeks to plan a wedding. I—I…that's _soon_."

Nate rubbed her back soothingly. "Ella, relax. It is soon, but we can put off worrying about it until we get home, okay? Right now, let's just be here for Jase and Cait, alright?"

She took several deep breaths. "Yes, you're right. You're totally right. We won't even _talk_ about it until we're back in California."

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Just enjoy yourself for now. We'll have plenty of time to be stressed out later."

* * *

"I can't believe you actually made me switch rooms with Shane last night," Caitlyn grumbled to Mitchie as Ella touched up her make up.

"Cait, stop talking and turning your head or I'm going to get lip gloss on your veil."

Caitlyn glared at Mitchie and groaned. She crossed her arms over her flannel button up shirt and then turned to look straight ahead at Ella. "How come you and Nate got to be in the same room last night?"

Ella laughed. "Because you didn't pick me as your maid of honor, Cait. And I can't thank you enough for that."

"Besides you're not supposed to see the groom before the wedding on the day of. You know that," Mitchie told her with a roll of her eyes.

"Stupid wedding traditions," Caitlyn muttered.

Dana laughed. "You seem pretty dedicated to the 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue' one."

"Yeah, well that's just good sense. I don't see how my seeing Jason before the wedding could cause bad luck. Really," Caitlyn huffed.

"Ella," Mitchie said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "When your wedding day rolls around…please don't be crazy. Okay?"

Caitlyn glared at Mitchie again. "Hey!"

A photographer walked by them and began snapping pictures of the four bridesmaids and Caitlyn as they got ready. Peggy forced a smile as the photographer snapped several pictures of the jewelry around her neck. It was the bridesmaid's gift from Caitlyn. The multiple clicks sounded from the camera.

"Also," Peggy said as she tried to step away from the photographer. "_Don't_ hire someone to take pictures of us while we're getting ready. I feel like I'm being mobbed by paparazzi." She turned to the petite blonde photographer. "No offense."

The photographer shrugged. "None taken."

Dana cleared her throat as she caught sight of the red mark on Ella's neck. "Um, Ella? Are you sure you want to keep your hair up?"

She blushed, and then shrugged. "Why not?"

"Because you have a hickey on your neck," Mitchie chuckled.

"So? It's faded a bit. Besides the more I look at it…the more I kind of like it," Ella said with a guilty smirk.

Caitlyn laughed and high fived Ella as she finished touching up Caitlyn's lip gloss. "That's the spirit. You wear that hickey proudly, Ells."

"Alright, time to put those dresses on, ladies," Marlene said as she came in the room. "We've got bridesmaids pictures on the beach in fifteen minutes. You girls stayed away from the windows right? The guys just finished taking their pictures and the last thing we need today is the bride and groom seeing each other."

The girls all gave Caitlyn a pointed look and she huffed. "Fine. I get it. No bad luck today."

* * *

Nate met Ella at the back of the church and smiled at her. "Hello, there."

She smiled in return and reached up to straighten his tie. "Hello yourself. You look very handsome."

"And green's a good color on you," Nate told her as he looked her up and down and then kissed her lips quickly.

The couples scrambled to find their order from the night before, and Ella looked back to smile at Caitlyn as she stood next to her father. Caitlyn leaned past Mitchie to speak to Ella.

"In three months, this is gonna be you, Ells," Caitlyn said with a wink.

She chuckled and nodded before her eyes landed on Caitlyn's father smiling proudly at his little girl. She swallowed thickly and looked down at her hands. Nate noticed her change in mood and laced his fingers through hers. He brought the back of her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," She said with a sigh. Her tone became hushed and he had to strain to hear her. "It's just…that isn't going to be me. Not exactly. There's not gonna be a proud father walking me down the aisle. It's _just_ gonna be me. Alone."

"Not alone," He told her as he squeezed her hand. He placed a lingering kiss on her temple. "_Never_ alone."

She smiled weakly at him and nodded.

He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "1, 2, 3…"

She laughed softly and flashed him a real smile as she responded. "4, 3, 2." Her eyes lingered on his. "We haven't done that in a while."

"We were overdue," He told her brightly as he offered her his arm. "I believe it's almost time for this wedding to start."

Peggy turned to them and gave them a curious look. "What _is_ that?"

"What?" Ella asked.

"That countdown thing you two do. I've heard you do that before, but I don't think it's ever been explained. What is it?"

Nate shrugged. "Just something we do."

"Between us," Ella told her with a small smile.

Peggy smirked at them. "Fine, keep your secrets. It'll come out eventually."

The processional music started and bridal tent at the back of the aisle was closed quickly as Jason and Brown took their places by the minister. A softer, slower, instrumental version of Taylor Swift's "Sparks Fly" played as the bridesmaids and the groomsmen made their way down the aisle. "Sparks Fly" had a special meaning for Caitlyn, and she'd insisted on arranging the instrumental version herself. She wanted it perfect. She hadn't let Jason hear it either. Ella quickly glanced at him and could tell by the grin on his face that he recognized the song. They'd all made it to the front when Mitchie began to saunter down the aisle. The tent at the back opened again and Caitlyn began to walk toward the aisle. Ella turned to see Jason's face and couldn't stop the joyful tears that sprang to her eyes at the sight of his awestruck face.

Really, they were too perfect. The love radiating off of both of these people in this moment had _every one_ emotional. _This_ was what happily ever after looked like.

* * *

Nate unlocked the door to his house and held it open for Ella as she walked through with her rolling suitcase behind her.

"Home!" She exclaimed. "I love Hawaii, and I know we've got a lot to do…but I _really_ missed home."

He smiled warmly at her as he shut the door behind them. "I like that."

"What?" She asked with a head tilt.

"I like that you just called this your home," Nate told her honestly. "It _is_ you know. Always will be."

She wrapped her arms around him and slipped her hands into the curls at the nape of his neck. "I'm glad to hear you say that."

"Yeah?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes, because when I actually move in here…I'm redecorating this place."

He laughed and kissed her quickly. "Whatever you want, El."

"Or should I say _decorate_? You've never really done anything with this house. Ever."

He shrugged. "Never had the time or the energy. Put up a few personal photos, bought the essential pieces of furniture, but other than that…I've never really had a reason to do anything."

She smiled brightly at him. "It just needs _several_ female touches, that's all. And maybe a few rooms that _aren't_ painted grey. I mean I get that it's your last name, but you _really_ like that color a little _too_ much."

He chuckled and released her before speaking up sarcastically. "Thank you, Ella. I appreciate that."

"I'm sorry," She said with a teasing smirk. "But it's true."

"You're not gonna like turn my house into a ball of pink fluff, are you?" He asked worriedly.

She laughed at his grimace. "No, Nate. I would never do that to you. Really, I mean have you seen my apartment? It's decorated with _your_ comfort in mind. Did you ever see the place before we started dating? It was _much_ girlier."

Ella's cell phone rang and she frowned.

"What?" Nate asked.

"It's Marlene. We _just_ left her at the airport," Ella said with a sigh. "And so it begins. Hello? Hi, Marlene." Nate watched her walk toward his dining room with a sigh of his own. He had a feeling things were going to get a lot busier over the next three months. "Yeah, save the date notices sound great—engagement photos? Um, no we haven't had those taken," She said just before Nate saw her yawn. She was tired. _He_ was tired. They both needed to rest. "Um, I can bring in a few of my favorite pictures to your office tomorrow if you want. Not a problem—No, really, I just need to take a look through my photo boxes at my apartment. Yes, tomorrow for lunch. I'll see you then. Bye, Marlene."

So much for rest, he thought as he watched Ella stand up from the table.

"Hey, Nate?" Ella asked before she yawned again. "Can you give me a ride back to my place? I need to pick out some photos for our Save the Date notices."

"I'll take you later, El," He told her. "I think we need to get some sleep first."

"But this meeting is for lunch tomorrow. If I don't do it now I won't have time before I go back to work tomorrow morning."

She yawned _yet again_, and he gave her a stern look. "That's the third time you've yawned in the last five minutes." He looked down at his watch. "It's nearly three in the afternoon, we have plenty of time to go to your place. We'll take a nap for a few hours and then I'll take you to your apartment so you can pick up your photos. _Then_ I'm bringing you back here for more rest. You can take a few minutes at work tomorrow to narrow down your options. Deal?"

She smiled affectionately at him and nodded. "Deal."

"Good," He took her hand and led her up the stairs to his room. Once they reached the door he put his arm around her shoulders. "You know, I _do_ have photos of us around here. You could look through those if you want."

She smiled at him as she leaned against him. "Do you have that one Shane took of us at Camp? For that reunion thing?"

"You mean the one of us right before you _shoved me in the lake_? Yes, I have that one."

She giggled. "Perfect, I love that one."

He rolled his eyes and smirked at her. "You _would_."

* * *

They'd done exactly what Nate said. They napped for a bit and then went and picked up Ella's photo boxes, and while they were there she repacked her suitcase for a few more days. She'd decided to stay with him this week, and he didn't mind at all. Now, they were back at his place sitting on his bed looking through photos. He was sitting back against his head board and she was sitting in between his legs and leaning against his chest.

She'd changed into a pair of his boxers, a tank top, and a pair of very warm socks. She'd pulled one of her photo boxes onto the bed with them and they were going through them together. One of his hands absently trailed up and down her arm as she pulled out another stack of photos. Right now they had five serious possibilities to show Marlene. She leaned her head back against his shoulder and sighed happily. The fact that she seemed so happy right now made him smile warmly at her before kissing her cheek.

"What about this one?" She asked as she held up another photo.

He quirked a brow at her. "Ella, we weren't even dating then. You were dating _Darren_."

Her brow furrowed. "Really? How can you tell? There's no date."

"Look at that photo, Ells. Do I look at all comfortable? My hands are behind my back, and I'm trying my _best_ not to touch you. Because if I'd touched you...well, I wouldn't have been your friend anymore. You would have either hated me or you would've hated yourself for _not_ hating me."

"Nate," She said softly.

"No, you know, I've never really told you this, actually. I _hated_ Darren, for just _one_ reason. He had you, and I wanted you. But I couldn't do anything about it because you were just _so_ in love with him. He was the love of your life. I could see that, and it was why I worked so hard to be civil to him. Because I honestly thought you were going to end up with him instead of me."

Ella turned so that she could throw her legs over one of his and look him in the eye. "But he's _not_ and I won't. I'm with _you_, Nate. Forever and always. 1, 2, 3. Remember?"

He smiled affectionately at her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "4, 3, 2. I remember."

"I'm _yours_, Nate. No one else's," She told him as she twisted a few fingers around his curls. "Promise. _I_ love _you_."

"I love you too," He said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Her arms tightened around his neck, and she pulled his mouth down to hers. She ran her tongue across his bottom lip and then nipped at it gently. He growled against her mouth and parted his lips. She continued to hold him tightly as he pushed her back into the mattress. She pulled a hand out of his curls and placed it on his chest to stop him. He gave her a confused glance but she smirked and rolled over on top of him.

She smiled mischievously as she straddled him. She leaned down and placed her lips on his ear. She nibbled and tugged for a minute before moving her lips to his neck below. Nate groaned as she continued to place kisses down his neck. She pulled away and giggled. "Maybe it's my turn to give _you_ a hickey. You think?"

He whined pathetically, and before he could stop himself he'd flipped her over on the mattress. She laughed loudly at him.

"Guess not," She said with a teasing smile.

She gasped loudly as his lips suddenly assaulted her neck. He definitely wasn't being gentle about anything this time, and she _knew_ she was going to have a very large and very red hickey whenever he was through. A noise escaped her mouth that she was certain she'd never made before. It was something between a growl and whine, and it only seemed to encourage Nate. Her hands dug into his hair again and she arched her neck.

Oh God, he made her crazy.

* * *

The next morning Ella woke up tucked securely into Nate's shirtless chest. She breathed in his sent and smiled brightly. She glanced down at the watch on his wrist and groaned. She had 45 minutes to get to work. Not only that, but she had 45 minutes to clean up the mess they'd made of all of her photos. They were everywhere. All over the bed, all over the floor…_everywhere_. She didn't even know where their stack of possible winning photos went. She supposed they were all mixed up with everything else.

She tried to untangle herself from him but his arms tightened around her. She rolled her eyes and looked up at him with a grin. "Nate, I need to get dressed."

"No, call in sick," He told her as his eyes slowly opened.

She laughed. "We just got back from Hawaii. You don't think they'll see through that?"

"Tell them you caught some rare Hawaiian flu or something."

She smiled at him and chuckled. "And what about my lunch meeting with Marlene?"

"I'm sure you could reschedule," Nate said as he lightly traced circles on her back with his thumb.

She whined softly. "I really shouldn't put the wedding stuff off any longer, Nate. We have twelve weeks. That's all."

"One more day, Ells. One more day of procrastination and then afterward you can go _crazy_ with wedding plans. Please?" He asked with as he caught her eye.

She sighed in resignation. "Fine. One more day."


	9. Moving In?

**A/N:** Once again there's a new poll up! Let me which one shot to post next! I've found myself with a surplus of unposted one shots. There's so many of them that I don't know which ones to post when. So, that's why I keep doing polls. Anyway **go vote**. The new one is up **on my profile**. I'll be closing it Friday night.

This chapter's kind of a filler chapter. But the next one will be awesome. Promise :)

Happy reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Nine: Moving In?

* * *

Nate cleared his throat uncomfortably as he glanced around Marlene's office. He and Ella sat down in two elegant antique looking chairs. Nate looked around at the soft pink walls and white furniture and then turned to Marlene as she sat down at her desk.

"Your office is awfully…pink."

Ella chuckled at him and rolled her eyes. "I like it."

He smirked at her. "You would."

"Anything wrong with my office being pink?" Marlene asked with a quirked brow.

"You just didn't seem like a _pink_ kind of woman," Nate told her carefully. "You're more of a green type. Like Caitlyn."

Marlene chuckled and grinned at him. "And you'd be right. I _just_ moved into this office. Painters are coming by next week to paint them a minty green color."

Ella smiled brightly at her. "Oh, that will look very nice with this furniture."

"Yes, and I'm getting a new light fixture put in as well. It's all going to be very elegant," Marlene told her. "Now, let's get down to business. We mailed out your Save the Date notices last week. So that can be crossed off the list. Now let's talk about the location. I've heard about Camp Rock from Brown and Jason and Caitlyn, but I've never been there. So tell me where you were thinking about having the ceremony."

"Well, there's a pier on the lake," Ella told her. "And we were thinking of having the ceremony in front of the pier at sunset."

Marlene nodded and picked up her pen. "So at around 8 o'clock. Now is the shore of this lake sandy?"

Ella and Nate nodded, and Marlene tapped her chin.

"Okay, so white wooden fold up chairs, and definitely a long carpet down the aisle. Now what about the reception?"

"We talked about having the dance floor on the round outdoor stage that's close to the lake, and having the meal in the dining hall," Nate told her.

"Hm, if you have people go outside for dancing less of them will dance," Marlene told them. "And it will make getting everyone outside for your first dance and the mother-son, father-daughter dances more difficult."

Nate winced and immediately reached over for Ella's hand. Ella cleared her throat and looked down at Nate's hand in hers before she spoke.

"Um, actually there won't be a father-daughter dance."

Marlene's eyes widened. "Oh God, I knew I should have asked about that first. Is he dead? Did he die recently? I really am sorry. You'd think I'd know to _ask_ by now."

Ella smiled slightly at her frantic rambling. "No, no, he's not dead. He's just—"

"Not fond of _me_," Nate told Marlene as he squeezed Ella's hand.

"That's not your fault," Ella told him as she smiled sadly at him. "You did nothing wrong."

"Wait," Marlene paused as she turned to Ella. She gave her an analytical glance before she spoke up slowly, "What's your last name again?"

Ella sighed. "Pador."

"As in Van Pador?" Marlene asked with wide eyes. She nodded before speaking again, "Oh, I understand now. Rocker-Daddy Dearest thinks you're marrying a younger version of him, huh?"

Ella rolled her eyes. "Yes."

"Clearly, he doesn't know the Gray boys very well _or_ their uncle," Marlene told the couple with a kind smile. "Alright, so no father-daughter dance. What about a brother-sister dance? You have a brother, right? I think I remember reading that somewhere."

Ella's eyes brightened at that. "I—I do have a brother. His names Tyler."

"Right, well, Tyler's giving you away isn't he? He's the next closest male relative. It would make sense to have a brother-sister dance to go with that," Marlene suggested. "What do you think?"

"I…did not think of that," Ella said as she smiled at Marlene. "I thought I was going to be walking down the aisle all by myself."

Marlene laughed. "Well, that's why I'm here. You should talk to your brother about this before we make a final decision. Something to think about. Well, we can't make any decision about a band until I see how big the space is and figure out how big we can make the dance floor. I think it's best if we have the dance floor inside the dining hall as well. Provided there's room."

"I think there will be room," Nate told her. Nate smiled at Ella's distracted expression. He knew the minute they left she'd be calling Tyler.

"Now what about a caterer?" Marlene asked.

"Oh, um," Ella said hesitantly. "I was thinking of hiring Connie Torres. It just seems like the only option if we're having the wedding at camp. I mean that is _her_ kitchen."

Nate laughed. "I don't think she'd like us too much if we let someone else use it."

"Alright," Marlene said with a smile. "If you'll give me Connie's number I will give her a call. Do you have any one in mind for the florist?"

"No, I mean obviously you've heard my mother's suggestions on that," Ella said with a roll of her eyes. "My only preference is to avoid greenery if at all possible. I like the color green, but I prefer to have other colors mixed in with it."

Marlene chuckled. "I think I can manage that. Alright, well, I think that's all for today. I'll call you when I have a list of possible florists. I'll also set up a time with Brown so that I can go see this camp. We'll be able to do more once I know what the space is like."

"Thank you, Marlene," Ella said as she and Nate stood up. "For everything."

Marlene winked at her and as she spoke a bit of her southern accent peeked through. "No problem, sweetie. It's kind of my job. So, I will see the two of your at your engagement party tomorrow night. Where, _Ella_, we will not discuss wedding details. You two are to relax and have fun tomorrow night, alright?"

Nate laughed and rubbed Ella's back lightly as she flushed.

"Believe me, Marlene. We'll have fun," Nate said with a chuckle.

* * *

"Hey, Nate," Ella said as they got into his car.

"Yes?"

"Do you have vanilla extract at your house?"

He squinted thoughtfully, "Um, no?"

"No?"

"Considering I don't even know what that would look like…I'm gonna say no."

She laughed and shook her head. "It's in a tiny little bottle."

"No, definitely don't have any of that."

"Ground cinnamon?"

"Ella, I'm gonna save you same time, babe. I don't cook. Therefore, any thing you might need _to cook_. I probably don't have."

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Okay, then I think we need to go by my apartment and then the store. I need to get everything together for the brunch tomorrow."

"Right," Nate said with a nod. "Then to your place we go. Question, Ells: Do you even really _live_ at your place anymore?"

She laughed. "I haven't been there for more than a few minutes in two weeks, Nate."

"Exactly, so…why don't you just _move_ in?" He asked plainly.

"I can't," She said with a sigh.

His brow furrowed. "Why not?"

"Nate, you want my mother to like you right?"

"Yes."

"Then I can't move in before the wedding."

"What?" He asked.

"I told you. My mother is pretty old fashioned."

"You lived with Darren," He said pointedly.

"Yes, and my mother held that over my head every time she wanted something. It was the perfect ammunition for her guilt trips," Ella told him. "Honestly, Nate. She didn't like Darren _at all_ until I started dating you. And then suddenly Darren was perfect. Which, for the record, he definitely _was not_."

"So, basically you're just going to keep paying your rent but not actually _living_ in your apartment so that you can honestly tell your mother you're not living with me?" Nate asked.

"Yes."

"I love you, but that's crazy."

She laughed. "I know."

"How long is left on your lease anyway?" Nate asked.

Her brow furrowed as she thought. "Last week it was a year. I signed a two year lease."

"Then you need to start looking for someone to sub-lease, right?" He asked.

Her eyes widened and she cursed. "Dammit, yes. I totally haven't thought about that."

He chuckled. "I'm sure you'll be fine. You have decent rent, in a nice part of town. Someone will snatch that up really quickly."

"I hope so," She said as they pulled into her building's parking garage. They made it in the building and Ella waved at Tom as she passed him.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Ella. Haven't seen much of you lately," He said knowingly.

She grinned at him. "Yeah, I've been at Nate's."

"I figured," Tom said with a chuckle. "I expect you'll be moving out soon?"

"At the end of May," She told him as Nate reached forward and shook the doorman's hand.

"That's when the wedding is then?" He asked.

Nate nodded. "It's coming up soon."

"Well, congratulations, Ms. Ella. I know we'll miss you around here."

She smiled warmly at the doorman and squeezed his arm before she and Nate began to walk away. "I'll miss you too, Tom."

They made it to the elevator and Nate smiled at her. "You know, Tom sort of gave me a pep talk the night I proposed."

She turned her smile on him. "Really?"

"Yes, he knew what I was going to do without me having to say it," Nate said with a grin. "I was a bit nervous."

"Really? But you _had_ to know I was going to say yes," Ella told him with a surprised tone.

"Ella, I knew you loved me, but I didn't know if you wanted to _marry_ me. The fact that I'd never met your parents worried me a little bit," He told her as snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side.

She sighed. "I know, and in hind sight you should have met them sooner. If you'd met them a long time ago it might have made telling my parents a little easier on us. I really am sorry about that."

He kissed her temple softly. "I get it though, Ella. I understand that you were trying to protect me. It's really sort of cute."

She laughed softly and leaned into him. "Well, now it's my turn to stress about impressing someone. I've only met your grandmother once before and we didn't really have time to talk. I'm nervous."

"You shouldn't be," Nate told her. "She'll love you."

"I hope so, but Caitlyn's got me freaked."

"Why?" Nate asked in amusement. "What did she say?"

"She just told me to make sure everything I served was home made, and when I asked her why she just said 'Trust me.' It was all very cryptic."

Nate chuckled. "Well, I doubt my grandmother is going to be too hard on you, and my mother will be there if you need her. You'll be fine."

They walked into her apartment and Nate patiently waited as she filled a cardboard box with ingredients that she would need for various dishes, and while she was there she decided to pack another bag of clothes. Before she left she grabbed a few of her skillets, pots, and pans. Nate had a few things, but her cookware and bake ware was better than his. Nate took the box from her and she carried her duffle bag as they left the apartment.

"So, what do we need to get at the store?" He asked.

"Just a few things. Eggs, butter, coffee ice cream, a few different kinds of fruit, and phyllo dough for the quiche. I have everything else," Ella told him as she ticked the items off on her fingers.

"Geez," He said as he adjusted the box in his arms so he could hold the elevator door for Ella. "What all are you making?"

"Nothing too difficult, really. Quiche Lorraine, Fruit salad, and coffee cake. Then I'm making this coffee liqueur punch."

His eyes widened. "I don't think you need to do _all_ of that, Ella. That sounds like a lot of work."

She shrugged. "Not really. And I like cooking. It's fun. Besides, I want to make a good impression."

"Oh, I think you will. I'm not sure my grandmother will be able to eat all of that," He said with a chuckle.


	10. Brunch

**A/N:** Okay, so here's chapter ten :) Enjoy! Once again there's a **poll** on my **profile**. I'll be closing it on Friday so **go vote** for the next fic I post!

Happy Reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Ten: Brunch

* * *

The next morning Ella got up early to start cooking, and Nate found her flipping through her recipes when he joined her in the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck lightly. She hummed happily and turned to face him.

"Good morning," She said brightly.

He smiled at her. "Good morning to you."

"Okay, I have a question for you, and I need an honest answer…"

"Oh boy," Nate said worriedly. "Usually after you say that I end up in trouble."

She chuckled. "I don't think you'll get yourself in trouble with this one."

She stepped away from him and took off her apron. "How do I look? Do you think your grandmother will approve?" She asked as she twirled slowly in front of him. She was wearing a black floral print dress with small cap sleeves and lace around the collar. There was a black band that ran just above her waist with a small gold bow in the middle. The dress stopped just a few inches above her knee, and he followed the line of her legs down to a pair of black lace up Mary Jane heels. His gaze lingered back up the length of her and he absently licked his lips and smiled.

"Yes, I think she will. You look gorgeous," He said as he reached out and pulled her close again. "As always."

She smiled at him. "See? You answered that perfectly. No sign of trouble."

He chuckled and kissed her lips quickly. "I have to go get dressed and find something to do. Dad and Jason told me I'm not allowed to be anywhere near this brunch."

Ella's eyebrows flew upward. "I don't like the sound of that. What does that mean?"

He leaned down and kissed her again, slowly this time. Her hands moved up to wrap around his neck as he deepened the kiss. When he pulled away he smiled at her. "Stop worrying, Ella. She's going to _love_ you. Trust me."

She blinked and nodded with a blissful and dazed look on her face. She was still trying to recover from that kiss. She really wanted to pull his lips back down to hers, and she almost did…until the oven beeped. She shook herself a little and pulled out of his arms. She turned and quickly stuck the quiche in the oven before looking back at him. "You really shouldn't kiss me like that before trying to talk to me. I can't form words when you do that."

Nate laughed softly. "That's _why_ I do that. When I pull that move I know you'll _listen_ to my words afterward."

She narrowed her eyes on him playfully. "You're _evil_."

"Takes one to know one, babe," He said with a smirk.

"Okay, so what are you going to do today, then?" She asked as she set the oven timer.

"I don't know. Probably put some extra work in at the studio. Might as well get something done," He told her as he leaned against the counter.

"I'll call you when we're done," She said as she leaned against the counter beside of him and snuggled into his side. "It can't take too long because we all have to get ready for the party tonight. That my mom is _actually_ coming to, by the way."

"Yeah?" He asked brightly. "Do you think she's coming around?"

"I think…" Ella said with a sigh. "I think she's making an effort. Which is good. It's a step forward."

"Okay," Nate said as he kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to go shower and change. I have about an hour and a half before I have to be out of here. Don't stress yourself out while you're cooking. Accidents happen when you do that."

She smiled affectionately at him before she leaned up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. "I'll be careful. I promise."

He reluctantly pulled away from her and went upstairs to get ready. Ella opened the refrigerator and checked on her punch and the fruit salad, and then got to work getting the coffee cake ready to be put in the oven after the quiche. She mixed the batter together and then set aside a half cup of it for the topping. She poured the rest into a cake pan. She mixed the topping ingredients into the reserved batter and set it aside. She had nothing else to do until the quiche was done in another half hour.

She sat down in Nate's living room and turned on the television. She flipped through until she landed on a marathon of some kind. She didn't really know what it was. She just wanted noise in the background. This house was huge. She glanced around the room and was once again shocked at how few personal touches Nate had added to the place in the two years he'd been here. The walls were beige, and his couch was grey. All the other pieces of furniture were cold and boxy and left the room feeling very drab. Maybe she should start redecorating now. Little by little so she didn't have to do it all at one time. She could, she thought, gradually move her things into Nate's house. That way it wouldn't be like she completely lived with him and it would make things easier in May when she actually had to move out.

She walked around the room and tried to imagine which of her furniture would go best in the room. She had a few antiqued pieces that would work really well and warm the space. She smiled as she spotted several pictures of the two of them around the room, and there was one photo of just her. It was sort of touching that the only personal things he'd added to his house were pictures…of them. She knew there were family photos on the walls in the dining room and upstairs in some of the other rooms. But photos seem to be the extent of what he'd done.

Nate came back down the stairs. He was dressed and ready to go. He smiled when he saw her thoughtful face.

"What are you thinking about over there?" He asked as he approached.

"I'm thinking…that we could _start_ moving my stuff in. Little by little. That way it won't be so difficult in May," She told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "What do you think?"

"You want to girly up my house, don't you?" He asked suspiciously.

She laughed and nodded. "Just a little bit. So this place feels more homey. I mean it's big and empty enough, but I think the more inviting and personal it looks the less _huge_ it will seem."

He smiled and nodded. "I agree. I think that sounds like a great idea. And this way you can live with me without actually _living_ with me. It's sneaky."

She smirked at him. "Yes, it is."

"Also, _I've_ been thinking…I have two guest rooms. I don't really even need _one_ guest room so I was thinking you could use the other one," He told her.

She tilted her head to the side. "Use it for what?"

"A work room or an office? You could put a desk in there and have a place where you can work here if you need to. I know that sometimes you have fashion emergencies," He said with a smirk. "And every time you complain about not having room to just take it home with you. Well, if you have a home office here then you'll have space for when those things happen. I mean, you don't have to use it if you don't want, but I thought it would be a good idea."

She smiled brightly at him. "Nate! I love that idea! But are you sure? I mean what about you? Do you need an office or…"

He smiled warmly. "I have a studio downstairs. That's my office. I _want_ you to take one of those rooms. Really. I think it would make this feel like _our_ space. You know?"

She kissed him quickly before she pulled back to look at him. "Thank you. I will totally take you up on that offer."

"Good, and decorate it however you want. That's your room to be as girly as you want in," He told her with a laugh. "Let it _all_ out in one of those rooms."

She rolled her eyes at him and grinned. "Basically, you're saying that's the only room I'm allowed to paint pink?"

He nodded and smiled. "Yes, that's what I'm saying."

She laughed at him. "Deal. I will keep the pink contained to my office."

The oven timer went off and Ella pulled away from him to pull out the quiche and then changed the oven temperature to the temperature needed for the coffee cake. He peered over her shoulder at the quiche.

"Do you think any of that will be left when I get back?" He asked.

She laughed and turned to face him. "Maybe. I make no promises though."

The oven beeped again and Ella put the coffee cake in and set the timer.

"But, how about, if it is gone when you get back…I make one just for us?" she asked as she reached up and patted his cheek. "Does that sound good?"

"That sounds great," He said as he turned his head to kiss her palm quickly. "Okay, I'm going to go now. There's 45 minutes left till they get here—"

"You're leaving?" she asked sadly. "I'll be here all alone for 45 minutes."

He smirked at her. "It's just 45 minutes, Ella."

"Yes, but this house is really big and empty and kind of spooky. I've never been here alone before," She told him. "I mean how will I know if someone breaks in?"

"The gate is locked, Ells, and there's a guard at the front gate of the development. You're safe," He told her with an amused smile.

"Still, I don't like it."

He chuckled and cupped her chin, "Okay, what if I stay here and work in the downstairs studio during the brunch? How does that sound?"

"That sounds much better. I really hope I get used to this place fairly quickly because I'm going to be here by myself when you're on tour," She said with a sigh. "I'm just not used to being in a big space like this. My apartment is small and cozy."

He kissed her forehead quickly. "I would say you should just drop everything and come on tour with me, but you can't do that. You have work."

She smiled warmly at him. "I would love to do that if I could though. Maybe I could find a way to work _and _go on tour with you. Yes, I'll have to look into that."

He laughed quietly. "Maybe we should get a dog or a pet of some kind to keep us company in our _big, empty, spooky_ house."

Her eyes brightened. "Something that could protect me when you're not here?"

"Yes, a big comforting dog that could protect you."

"I like that idea."

"Me too, actually," Nate told her as he wrapped his arms around her. "So how long until that coffee cake is ready?"

"I have to put the topping on in twenty minutes, and then it has to bake for 15 more minutes."

"Wanna make out while we wait?" He asked as his eyebrows rose suggestively.

She threw her head back and laughed before looking at him. "Sure, why not?"

Twenty minutes later the oven timer dinged and Ella hesitantly stood from the couch. She straightened her dress and reached down to wipe her lipstick off of Nate's lips. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back down to the couch. She gave him a stern yet amused look.

"Nate, let me go."

He whined. "Why?"

She laughed. "Because if you don't my coffee cake is going to burn."

"Eh. You have quiche and fruit salad. You don't really need the coffee cake. Let it burn."

She smiled and shook her head and tugged her hand from his. "You're a mess."

She walked into the kitchen and finished the coffee cake. She put on the topping and then stuck it back in the oven.

"Nate?" She asked as she walked into the living room. He sat up on the couch and looked at her.

"Yes?"

"Can you watch the coffee cake for me? I'm gonna go upstairs and straighten up a little. I think my hair has fallen down and I need to reapply my lip stick," She told him with a knowing grin.

He sighed. "I guess that means no more making out, huh?"

She laughed. "Not until after the brunch, no."

"Okay, go reapply things. I'll keep an eye on the cake," Nate said with a small huff.

She smiled sweetly at him and kissed his cheek as she headed for the stairs. "Thank you, love you."

"Love you too," He said with a chuckle as he watched her go.

* * *

The doorbell rang twenty five minutes later and Nate immediately kissed Ella's cheek before retreating down the stairs to his studio. "Come and get me when it's over."

She chuckled and nodded. "Will do."

She waited until he closed the door that led downstairs behind him before she walked toward the front door. She answered the door to see Mrs. Gray and a petite stern looking grey haired woman. A woman Ella just barely recognized as Nate's grandmother.

"Ella," Mrs. Gray said brightly. "You look beautiful dear!"

Ella smiled. "Thank you, Mrs—"

"Ella…"

"Right, Vicky. Sorry. I keep forgetting."

"And this is Nate's grandmother," Vicky said as she motioned to the other woman. "Esther Gray."

Ella reached out and shook the woman's hand.

"Call me Mrs. Gray," She said as she looked Ella up and down. "You're as pretty as I remember you from the last time we met."

"Oh," Ella said happily. "Well, thank you, Mrs. Gray."

"You have very small hips," Mrs. Gray told her suddenly.

Vicky gave her a tired look. "You said the same about Caitlyn."

"It's not good for child bearing," The woman said stubbornly.

Ella's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "I—I'm sorry?"

"Small hips make child bearing harder on the mother," Esther repeated.

"I—um…Why don't you both come in, please. Let me take your jackets," Ella said as she eagerly changed the subject. She had no idea what to say to that. Ella took their jackets and hung them up in the closet by the door.

"I see you haven't really added much to the house yet," Esther said observantly.

Ella glanced around worriedly. "Oh, I haven't moved in here yet." She cleared her throat and smiled. "I've already told Nate I'll be redecorating a little bit once I do actually move in. It will be much cozier after that."

Vicky smiled warmly at her. "I'm sure it will. You have lovely taste from what I've seen."

"Thank you. If you'd like we can take this to the dining room table. It's all set, I just have to set out the food," Ella told them as she led them to Nate's dining room.

"Yes, that sounds like an excellent idea. I need to taste this cooking," Esther said with a small nod. Ella bit her lip. She was suddenly very nervous. "What are we having at this brunch?"

Ella cleared her throat anxiously. "I have Quiche Lorraine, fruit salad with plums, coffee cake, and a coffee liqueur punch. I've also got a pot of Earl Grey prepared in case you would like something else."

"And you made all of that yourself?" Esther asked suspiciously.

Ella nodded. "Yes, I certainly did. The Quiche Lorraine recipe was actually my mother's."

Esther's eyebrows rose slightly. "Impressive. Even more impressive if it's good."

Vicky gave Ella an apologetic look and smiled thinly. "You know what, dear. I'll help you. It must be more than you can carry."

Once they reached the kitchen Ella turned to her. "What is going on here?"

Vicky chuckled slightly. "She does this with every woman who tries to marry into the family. She did this to her sister-in-law, to me, to Caitlyn—"

"She did _this_ to Caitlyn? And she's still alive?"

Vicky laughed. "It was touch and go for a while. Luckily Caitlyn managed to keep her anger in check."

Ella sighed. "Great, just great."

Vicky squeezed her arm lightly. "You have nothing to worry about. You're doing _great_. Better than I did."

"Why? What did you do?" Ella asked.

"I burnt the toast and apparently made coffee that was far too strong, and after a few quips from her I snapped at her just a little. We had a rough go of it for the first few years," Vicky told her with a small smile.

"How did Caitlyn do?" Ella asked hesitantly.

"With the exception of buying sweet biscuits from a local bakery, she passed with flying colors."

Ella chuckled and nodded. "Ah, that explains her phone call then. She called me and told me to make sure everything was home made."

Vicky took a quick look over what Ella had prepared. "Well, you certainly did that. This looks very impressive. And I'm sure it's delicious." She handed Ella the quiche and then she picked up the bowl of fruit salad. "Let's get this out there before she gets impatient."

"Here you go, Mrs. Grey," Ella said as she set the quiche down on the table and then placed a slice on her plate for her. Vicky set the fruit salad down and then spooned out a bit on everyone's plates. "Would you like some tea or some of the punch?"

"Tea, please. Two sugars, no cream."

Ella nodded and smiled warmly. "I'll be right back."

Ella nervously poured the tea and glanced at the chilled pitcher of punch. So much for that, she thought. Vicky entered the kitchen again and smiled.

"I think I'll have some of that punch. It's got alcohol in it, yes? I think we're both going to need it. Would you like some too?" Vicky asked as she pulled a glass down from Nate's cabinets.

Ella nodded. "Yes, _please_."

Ella brought Esther her tea and then sat down on one side of her. She picked up her fork and started to take a bite.

"So, Ella. What do you do again?" Esther asked. Ella lowered her fork and answered as Esther took a bite of quiche.

"I'm a freelance stylist. I help people decide what to wear," Ella told her brightly.

"People like who?"

"Well, the guys, for one. Nate, Shane, and Jason were my first real clients. I also dress Mitchie Torres—"

"Yes, Shane's girlfriend that he still hasn't married yet. I know her," Esther said with a sigh.

"Yes, her," Ella said awkwardly. "Most of my clients are actors and musicians. Brown is one of my clients as well, whenever he attends an event, that is."

"Caitlyn said you made her an outfit out of two swimsuit cover ups and a belt?" Vicky asked with a grin.

Ella laughed. "Yes, for a fashion emergency in Hawaii. She'd gotten something on the outfit she brought with her."

Ella picked up her fork and prepared to take a bite once again—

"That's a _career_? They pay people to dress other people?" Esther asked with a quirked brow.

Vicky winced and Ella's grip on her fork tightened. She forced a smile before she spoke. "Yes, they do."

"Is there schooling for that? Or did you skate by without that?"

Ella glanced at Nate's grandmother in disbelief for a moment before she bit down on her bottom lip and counted backwards from five. She cleared her throat. "I have a degree in Fashion Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design. I graduated with a 4.0 GPA."

Esther's eyes widened. "Oh, well, that's very impressive, then."

"Thank you," Ella said stiffly.

She looked up at Vicky apprehensively. Vicky gave her a discrete thumbs up and smiled proudly. Vicky turned to Esther. "Ella's very talented. She designs the boys' tour wardrobes as well. They just rave about her every time they get ready for a tour."

Ella blushed. "I don't do much really. I just alter a few things for quick changes. That's all."

"Oh, please, you're being modest," Vicky told her with a wink.

Finally, Ella got to take a bite of her quiche and was relieved to find that it tasted exactly how it should. She took a quick bite of the fruit salad as well before Esther could ask her another question.

"What do your parents do, Ella?"

Ella swallowed before she spoke. "My mother is runs a marketing firm, and my father is the lead singer of Headline. They're a rock band."

Esther's brow furrowed and she chuckled lightly. "They sound like an odd pair. They must have a strange marriage."

Ella bit her bottom lip. "Well, actually, they divorced just before I was born. They were a little _too_ odd of a pair."

"Your mother raised you, then?" Esther asked.

Ella nodded. "For the most part. Dad didn't really start to get involved until I started middle school. He's gotten better at the whole father thing, though. Or…well he _was_ getting better."

"Esther," Vicky said slowly. "Let's talk about something else."

"No, no," Esther said curiously. "Let's talk about this. What do you mean _was_?"

"I haven't spoken to him in a few weeks," Ella told her as she swallowed thickly. "Well, he hasn't spoken to me. I try to call him once a week. He just never answers."

"And why is that? What happened?" Esther pried.

Ella pushed around the fruit salad on her plate. "He doesn't exactly _approve_ of Nate, and he didn't take the news of the engagement very well. So, he's not speaking to me at the moment."

Esther's eyes narrowed. "He doesn't approve of _Nate_? _My_ Nate?"

Ella smirked at Esther, and then looked down at her plate as she spoke. "I know, crazy right? My dad has this crazy idea that Nate's going to turn into _him_, but there's no way that's going to happen. Nate is wonderful. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that he can care about me as much as he does. And I _hate_ that my father doesn't see that. Nate deserves to, at least, have his respect. I love him, and I think my father should too. Is that too much to ask?"

Esther smiled softly at her and reached out to squeeze her hand. "No, that's not too much. That's not too much at all, dear."

Ella looked up at Nate's grandmother and smiled warmly. "Thank you, Mrs. Gray."

Esther patted her hand and her stern expression fell away completely. "You're welcome, sweetheart. You're going to have to give me the recipe for this fruit salad. It's delicious. And Ella?"

"Yes, Mrs. Gray?"

"Call me Grandma. I insist," She told her with smile and a wink.

* * *

Ella let out a relieved sigh as she shut the door behind Mrs. Gray and Nate's grandmother. That went fairly well. She'd passed apparently. She jogged down the stairs to the studio and quietly entered. Nate was in the booth. She sat down in front of the panel and turned on the microphones. She watched him as he played his guitar and smiled warmly. He finally noticed her presence and leaned into the microphone.

"Did they leave?" He asked.

She nodded, and he quickly exited the booth. He sat down across from her gave her a curious glance.

"How did it go?"

"Pretty well," Ella told him happily. "_And_ there's even food left for you."

"See? I told you that you were worrying for nothing."

Ella smirked secretively. "Yeah, absolutely nothing."


	11. The Engagement Party

**A/N: **There's another **poll** up on my **profile**! I'll be closing it Friday night! **Go vote**! :) There's four choices this time!

* * *

Chapter Eleven: The Engagement Party

* * *

Ella put in her earrings and touched up her lip gloss before she stepped back to try and look at her entire reflection. She sighed as the bathroom counter got in her way. She needed to remember to move her stand alone full length mirror over. She could not deal with only seeing half of her outfit. She stood on her tip toes to try and see the bottom of her dress, but it was no good. She was too short and the counter was too tall.

She let out a low whine and huffed before grabbing her grey coat off of the back of the bathroom door. She was determined to not let Nate see her dress till just before they entered the hall where the party was. It was strapless and stopped a few inches above her knees. The top of the bodice was curved like the top of a heart, and there was beading on the top right of the bodice and then more beading over the bottom left over her stomach and over the edge of her hip. The top left of the bodice had pleating that looked elegant and yet daring. The dress itself was very formfitting. She loved it.

She straightened her necklace as she slipped her arms in the sleeves of her coat. She fastened it before she opened the door and walked out into the bedroom. Nate turned eagerly and Ella nearly laughed as his brow furrowed and the corners of his mouth turned downward. She smirked at him and approached quickly as he struggled with his tie. She pulled his hands away and did it herself. She straightened it and then ran her hands over his shoulders to smooth out the wrinkles.

"You look very handsome," Ella said with a smug smile. She picked his suit jacket up off the bed and held it out for him. He gave her a suspicious look before he slipped his arms into the sleeves.

"As far as I can tell you look very nice too," He said slowly as he faced her again. "But, _honey_, you're not sharing equally. You've seen me, and I think it's only fair that I see whatever is underneath that coat."

He reached out to unfasten the top of her coat and she laughed and slapped his hands away. "Oh no, not yet. I want you to be surprised."

"Come on, Ella. It's not like you're wearing a wedding dress. This is an _engagement_ party," He said as he stuck out his bottom lip in a pout.

He reached out again and she grabbed his hands. She laughed again. "Nate, if I take off this coat now you're going to want to kiss me, and we both know that we're running late enough as it is. So, no. Not until we get to the party."

"That's evil," Nate told her.

"Yes, it is," She agreed with a grin.

Nate sighed. "Fine, keep your little secret. I'll find out sooner or later."

Ella chuckled as he sighed and motioned for her to lead the way to the car. Once they were in the car and on the road he reached over and laced his fingers with hers. They shared smiles and Ella leaned her head back on the headrest. Nate looked over at her as they parked outside of the hall.

"You do look very beautiful, Ella. Even if you are completely covered by that damn coat," Nate said with a smirk.

She smiled at him in amusement. "Why, thank you, Nathaniel. I appreciate that."

He got out of the car and walked around to help her out of the passenger side. Mrs. Gray met them outside of the door and hugged them both.

"Oh, sweetie, do you want me to take your coat?" Mrs. Gray asked.

"Yes, please, take the coat," Nate said as he reached out to help Ella take off her coat. She rolled her eyes and laughed lightly as she undid the two top clasps. Nate gently peeled off the coat and handed it to his mother. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of Ella's bare shoulders and she turned to smirk at him.

"Well, how do I look?" She asked

"I—I…you look," Nate stuttered with a gulp. "Wow." He cleared his throat and blushed. "You're…_perfect_."

Her face flushed, and she smiled shyly at him. "I'm sure I'm not _perfect_."

He lightly ran a hand up her arm and pulled her closer. "Yes, you _are_."

He leaned forward and kissed her lips extremely slowly. Ella let out a soft quivering sigh as he pulled away. His mother cleared her throat, and Nate's eyes flew open. He kissed Ella's forehead and then laced his fingers through hers. Mrs. Gray smiled affectionately at the couple as she opened the door and motioned for them to walk through it.

They were met with applause and cheering, and they smiled brightly at the room. Ella's smile fell a little when she spotted her mother's less than enthusiastic face, but it came right back when her eyes found Tyler's proud face. He jogged toward them and hugged his little sister proudly.

"You know," He said in whisper. "I _knew_ you were engaged, but somehow it didn't hit me until _just_ now. My baby sister's getting married. We're all grown up."

Ella chuckled and hugged him in return. "Yes, we are. Now we just need to find you a girl."

"Good luck with that, I'm a stallion," Tyler said jokingly. Ella bit her bottom lip.

"I do have something I wanted to ask you though, Ty," Ella hesitantly.

"What's that?"

"Well, you're always here for me…and I know that usually a girl has her father walk her down the aisle, but we both know that's not going to happen for me and I was wondering, well hoping, that you might want the job instead?" She asked nervously as her eyes watered slightly.

He smiled and kissed her cheek. "Of course, Ellie. I would be honored."

She sniffled and hugged him again. "Thank you, Ty. Love you."

"Love you too, sis."

She glanced over at her mother and sighed sadly. Tyler squeezed her shoulder.

"She'll come around. For right now, just be thankful that she's here."

Ella nodded. "I am. Should I go talk to her?"

He smiled softly. "I think that would be a good idea."

Ella pulled away from him and headed toward her mother. She turned to find Nate following her and she gave him a warm glance. "Nate…"

"Ella," He said sternly.

She sighed and smiled at him. "Let me do this on my own this time. Please?"

"Ella…"

"Nate," She repeated with a smirk as she reached a hand up to caress his cheek. "I need to talk to her alone."

He nodded reluctantly. "Okay, but I'm gonna be right here. If you need me just…find me. Promise?"

"Promise," She said before she placed a quick kiss to his lips. "I'll be right back."

Ella slowly approached her mother.

"Thank you for coming, mommy," Ella told her in a small childlike voice.

Lauren Do sighed. "I said I would be here, Ellie, and I am."

"How are you? With me and Nate, I mean?" Ella asked slowly.

"Ella, let's not talk about this now."

Ella nodded and sighed. "I see. So, you still don't approve, then?"

"No, I don't. I still believe that you're going to regret this someday soon. This is a hard life you're about to marry into. You'll be alone for a good portion of it. Sometimes it won't even _feel_ like you're married. Is that _really_ what you want?"

Ella ran a hand over her eyes and growled slightly. "Mother, I _want_ Nate, and if that's what comes with him then I will _gladly_ accept any and all conditions and complications. I don't care the cost…I just _want Nate_. So, you're just going to have to smile and deal with it. It would also be nice if you could at least _try_ to get to know Nate. He's a _real_ man, mom. He's _not_ dad. I mean I _know_ that eventually you'll see it, but I'd like for you to see it before my golden wedding anniversary. Really, take all the time you need. You'll realize you're wrong, but in the mean time…you _will_ be civil to my fiancé and his family. You will force a smile and be gracious and helpful. Am I clear?"

Ms. Do's mouth formed a stern thin line. "Are you…did you…what makes you think you can talk to me like that, _young lady_?"

"Young lady, mom? Really? I'm twenty five."

"I am your _mother_," She said in a raised voice.

"You're not acting like it," Ella told her. "And until you are I plan to talk to you however I see fit. Enjoy the party, mom. Nate's grandmother made the potato salad, and I've heard she makes the best potato salad in three states. You should try it."

Ella turned and walked away. She'd expressed her opinion on that matter and that was all she could do for the moment. She smiled softly at Nate as she approached him.

"Everything okay?" He asked worriedly.

"No, but we have an understanding. I think that's the most we can ask for right now," Ella told him.

"An understanding with who?" Esther Gray asked as she approached them.

Ella smiled warmly at the woman and hugged her as she pulled away she glanced discretely over at her mother. "No one, Grandma Gray. No one."

Esther followed Ella's gaze and glared warily at the woman on the other end of it. There was enough resemblance that Esther could tell who she was. _That_ cross looking, unsatisfied woman had to be Ella's mother. She pulled away and then hugged Nate. She kept one arm around Nate after they both pulled back from the hug. "Well, don't the both of you look wonderful? Such a very attractive couple."

"Thank you, Grandma," Nate said with a chuckle as he kissed her cheek.

"You two go mingle and talk to your friends," Esther told them pleasantly. She nodded toward Ms. Do. "Is that your mother?"

"Um, yes. That _is_ my mother," Ella said with a sigh.

"You have her eyes," Esther told her. "I think I'm going to go introduce myself. You kids go make your rounds with your guests."

Ella started to protest but Esther gave Nate a stern look and his eyes widened before he quickly led Ella away. "Let's go find my brothers, Ells."

"But, Nate—"

"C'mon, just trust me," Nate said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her across the room toward Jason.

Esther turned and approached Ms. Do. She smiled and reached out a hand toward her. "You're Ella's mother?"

She nodded and shook Esther's hand. "I'm Lauren Do."

"Do? Not Pador?"

Lauren scowled. "No. I divorced her father years ago. I'd rather not carry around his name if I don't have to deal with him."

"I see," Esther said blankly. "Well, I'm sorry about that. That must be awkward for your children."

Lauren blinked and swallowed thickly. "They've gotten used to it."

"You'll forgive me if I find that sad," Esther said with a sigh. "I will say that I _love_ Ella. She's a very intelligent young woman, and Nate's crazy about her."

"He should be. I'm sure he can't do any better than her."

Esther's eyes widened at her tone. "Well, it's nice to know how you feel about my grandson."

Lauren's eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't mean—"

Esther chuckled. "Yes, you did."

"I just—unlike all of you, I'm not sure this is the best thing for my daughter. I married someone who was constantly in the spotlight and it _did not_ turn out well for me," Lauren huffed.

"Yes, I see. Two attractive, talented, and intelligent children came out of it. I can see how it didn't end well," Esther said sarcastically. "And now one of them is blissfully happy and marrying a young man who wants nothing more than to take care of her for the rest of his life. You're most definitely _not_ blessed. No, it's clear the universe is just out to destroy you."

"Excuse me?"

Esther sighed. "You need to learn to appreciate what you have, dear. Look around the room. All of these people are here to celebrate _your_ daughter and the man that means the world to her. They clearly have faith that these two will make it. You seem to be the only person who can't see it. Does that seem odd to you? If you're not careful, _Ms. Do_, you're going to lose your children. They're going to grow tired of dealing with your…_disposition_. You need to let your children live _their_ lives and support _their_ decisions. Sometimes we, as parents, don't _always_ know best, as hard as that is for us to accept. Just be happy that your daughter is happy or you run the risk of scaring her away."

"I don't think Ella—"

"Trust me, if you were to ask her, right now, to choose you or Nate. She would choose him. No hesitation," Esther said bluntly. "Adjust your attitude, Ms. Do. Make things easier on your daughter. She's stressed enough as it is. She's lost her father. Don't make her lose her mother as well."

And with that Esther walked away and left Lauren to think. Esther shook her head as she walked. This woman was doing nothing but making it harder on Ella, and she didn't deserve that.

"Alright," Jason said loudly as he stood at his seat at one of the tables. He picked up a glass and carefully tapped it with his fork. "If everyone could please take their seats? It's almost time for dinner to be served, and before we eat I've been told I need to make a toast."

He waited as everyone sat down and then glanced to Nate and Ella as they sat down next to himself and Caitlyn. He cleared his throat. "I'm not sure there's anyone out there who doesn't know this, but just in case…Nate is my youngest brother and one of my best friends. We've been through a lot together over the years, and obviously we've grown up together. But _actually_ Ella's grown up with us too. So did a _lot_ of the people in this room right now. Thanks to a place you all may have heard of called Camp Rock. We don't actually talk about this very often, but I do remember most of you from our last summer before Connect Three made it big. I definitely remember Caity," Jason said as he smiled warmly at his wife.

"She wasn't the Caitlyn she is now, though. She wore soft pinks and purples and was certainly _subdued_. I remember her, though. Even then, when she was trying to hide it, I could see there was something different about her. And I remember the rest of you too. I remember Tess, Barron, Peggy, Sander, Andy, and Lola. And I remember Ella. She was a tiny little thing who wore enough sequins to blind you for days."

Ella blushed and buried her face in her hands. Nate chuckled and pulled them away. He leaned close to her ear to whisper. "I never minded the sequins. In fact, most of the time I miss them. You don't really wear them much anymore."

"Well, if you like them," Ella whispered with shy smile, "Maybe I'll wear them more often."

"I also remember the first time Nate met Ella. He came back to the cabin, and told Shane and me all about the crazy shiny girl who talked his ear off," Jason turned to wink at Ella before he continued. "But eventually Nate and Ella formed a very unlikely but very close friendship. And I think the things that initially drove him crazy about Ella are the things that eventually caused him to fall so hard. Am I right, little brother?"

Nate smiled and nodded. "Among other things."

"And I know that sometimes talking to Nate feels like talking to a brick wall. He's not the most talkative of individuals, but if there's anyone out there who can get a person to talk its Ella. Having watched the two of them grow up and then having watched the two of them together I have no doubt that they're meant to be. They're _perfect_ for each other, and I think all of us here tonight can clearly see that. I look forward to the end of May, and to watching the two of them _officially_ start their lives together. To Nate and Ella," Jason said as he raised his glass.

"To Nate and Ella," The room repeated.

"Congratulations, you two," Jason said with a nod. "Now, let's eat!"

Jason sat down next to Caitlyn and she smiled proudly at him. Ella beamed at Jason and patted his hand. "Thank you, Jase. That was beautiful."

"You're welcome," He said with a nod.

The food was set down in front of them, and Nate turned toward Brown who sat on the other side of him. He cleared his throat before he spoke, "Uncle Brown?"

Brown gave Nate a curious glance. "Yes?"

"I was hoping you'd be my best man," Nate said with a smile. "Are you up for it?"

Brown clapped Nate on the shoulder. "I'd be honored."

The table fell into small talk as dinner continued and once it was finished Mrs. Gray stood up to make an announcement.

"Thank you all for coming. I hope you enjoyed dinner, and now…it's time for dessert," Mrs. Gray nodded to one of the waiters and he left the room and then came back in rolling a cart. The cart stopped by Ella and Nate's table and Mrs. Gray uncovered the dessert. Ella laughed and shook her head. "Oh it's perfect."

It was a three tiered cake, and each tear was decorated to look like a light blue jewelry gift box. Tiffany's boxes. Ella stood up and gave Mrs. Gray a quick hug.

"It's beautiful. I love it," Ella said happily.

"It's chocolate all the way through," Mrs. Gray said with a chuckle. "Caitlyn said you would like that."

Ella nodded and beamed at her. "And Caitlyn would be right."

They cut the cake and passed it around and they all sat and enjoyed dessert and made small talk for about another half hour, and then finally Nate stood up and got the attention of the room. Shane handed Nate his guitar and Nate nodded his thanks.

"I actually have a little something I'd like to perform now," Nate said as he smiled warmly at Ella. "For years now, Ella and I have had a favorite song. Ella played this for me one summer at camp and since then it's been _our_ song. Even when we were just friends this song belonged to us. It was _about_ us. Then we started dating, and it took on an entirely different meaning. Actually, for me at least, it took on an entirely different meaning long before we started dating. It just took a long time for my chance to come around."

He placed the guitar strap around him and ignored the scolding look from his mother as he sat on the edge of the table and propped a leg up in his chair. He angled himself toward Ella and looked her in the eyes before he continued speaking. "This song is called 'Count on Me' and it's by an artist you all might have heard of called Bruno Mars. This is for you, Ells."

She could feel the tears forming in her eyes and she bit her bottom lip. He hadn't even started playing yet. He started strumming and Ella brought a hand to her mouth. She knew she would be crying by the end of this. He wasn't going to leave her any other choice.

"_If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea,  
I'll sail the world to find you.  
If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see,  
I'll be the light to guide you._

Find out what we're made of,  
When we are called to help our friends in need.

_You can count on me like 1, 2, 3.  
I'll be there.  
And I know when I need it,  
I can count on you like 4, 3, 2,  
And you'll be there,  
'cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah._

_If you're tossin' and you're turnin',  
and you just can't fall asleep,  
I'll sing a song beside you.  
And if you ever forget how much you really mean to me,  
Every day I will remind you._

Find out what we're made of,  
When we are called to help our friends in need.

_You can count on me like 1, 2, 3.  
I'll be there.  
And I know when I need it,  
I can count on you like 4, 3, 2,  
And you'll be there,  
'cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah._

_You'll always have my shoulder when you cry.  
I'll never let go,  
Never say goodbye._

_You can count on me like 1, 2, 3.  
I'll be there.  
And I know when I need it,  
I can count on you like 4, 3, 2,  
And you'll be there,  
'cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah._

_You can count on me 'cause I can count on you."_

She was right. She was crying. She sniffled and accepted a tissue someone handed her as Nate set his guitar to the side. The minute he put his feet on the floor and stood up Ella practically jumped him with a hug. He held her tightly and kissed the side of her head. She placed a lingering gentle kiss on his lips before she pulled away and smiled brightly.

"Thank you," She whispered.

"My pleasure, Ells. I love you," He replied.

"I love you, too."

The group applauded and gave them a few minutes before Mrs. Gray cleared her throat. Nate and Ella turned to find her smiling softly at them.

"We have presents for you to open in the back whenever you're ready," Mrs. Gray told them.

Ella quirked a brow. "Presents?"

Nate laughed and rolled his eyes. "Thanks, mom. I've completely lost her attention now."

Ella smirked and turned back to him. "You will never _completely_ lose my attention, Nathaniel. You just lose a little bit of my _focus_, that's all." She turned and smiled pleasantly at Mrs. Gray. "So, presents?"

Nate and Ella walked to the table in the back and the room turned their focus toward them. Mrs. Gray had them sit down in two chairs next to each other, and handed them each a present from the table. They ripped them open and shared a confused glance when they both opened a different leash and collar set. Ella's was Louis Vuitton and Nate's was covered in the Yankees logo.

"What is this?" Nate asked as he held it up and looked around the room.

Ella glared at Caitlyn. "Is this some sort of twisted joke?"

Caitlyn laughed loudly. "No, but that _would_ be funny."

"C'mon," Mrs. Gray said as she handed them each another present. "Let's keep going."

Nate and Ella looked very lost as they slowly opened the next two presents. Ella frowned at the package in her hands. It was a pair of plush dog toys that looked like high heels. She glanced over at Nate and found him holding a rope dog toy.

"Okay," Ella said slowly as she looked around the room again. "What _is_ this?"

"What do you think it is?" Mr. Gray asked with a smirk.

"You all do know that we _don't_ have a dog, right?" Nate asked them.

"Oh? You don't?" Shane asked with a knowing grin. "I guess that means we all need to take our presents back."

A little bark could be heard behind them and suddenly a small, wiggling, furry bundle was placed in Ella's lap. Ella looked behind her to find Brown bending over her. He winked before he spoke.

"_Or_ we could just give them a dog," Brown said with a chuckle.

Ella gasped and picked up the puppy in her lap. It's fur was a warm copper color and it had a white spot on its nose. "Oh my goodness! Look at you!" She hugged it to her and turned toward Nate. "Look! It has blue eyes and little floppy ears!"

Nate took the puppy from her with a smile. He noticed the white fur on its belly as he did so and looked around the room. "What kind of dog is this?"

"I believe the breeder said she was a Duck Tolling Retriever. She'll be a big comforting dog," Mr. Gray told him.

Ella gasped and clapped lightly. "Perfect! Oh my gosh! Thank you all so much! She's adorable!"

Ella reached over and scratched behind the dog's ears. Its tongue lolled to the side and it's tail wagged. It licked her hand a couple of times and Ella laughed. Nate smiled affectionately and rubbed the puppy's belly as he held it. "What should we name her?"

Ella made a thoughtful noise. "She looks like a…Maggie."

The dog let out a happy bark at the sound of the name and Ella smiled.

"Maggie it is, then," Nate said as he rubbed the dog's head. "Think she'll be able to protect you?"

Ella smirked. "Of course, I mean just look at her. She's fierce. Aren't you, little lady?" It let out another tiny bark, and Ella brought her face just a little closer. "Yes, you are!" Ella let out a light squeal as the dog licked the tip of her nose. She laughed. "Oh I love this dog already. She's just _too_ precious."

"We thought you two might need someone to keep you company in that big house," Mrs. Gray said with a smile. "And this little thing looked like just the right dog for the job. We couldn't resist."


	12. Registering for Gifts

**A/N:** So, here's chapter 12! Exciting stuff is coming! I'm currently writing chapter 18 and it looks like there's going to be close to twenty one chapters. So I'm almost finished! Also there's another **poll up that closes Friday night**! Get **your votes in** before midnight on Friday! Visit my profile to vote! :D

Happy reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Registering for Gifts

* * *

"One Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte for you," Nate said as he got back in the car and handed her a paper coffee cup. He shut the door and then put his in the cup holder. "And one Caffè Americano for me. So where are we off to first?"

"Tiffany's, of course," Ella said with a laugh. "Where else would we go?"

"Right," He said with a smirk. "What was I thinking?"

"We need to pick out china and flatware and anything else we might need for our dining room table. We could probably pick out a few picture frames as well, and we should probably try and figure out our wedding party gifts," Ella said as she took a sip of her latte. "Have you thought about what you want to get your groomsmen?"

"I was thinking money clips or cuff links. I'll have to have a look around when we get there," Nate told her. "What about you?"

"I'm thinking something for them to wear with their dresses. Probably something with pearls. They'll go with any color dress," Ella told him. "I'm thinking earrings. They'll wear them more, and they're cheaper than a bracelet."

He nodded. "If I follow that logic then I should probably go with money clips."

"Sounds perfect to me," She told him happily as he parallel parked.

He picked up his coffee and walked around to help her out of the car, and as they walked down the street toward Tiffany's Ella's shoulder bumped someone and she and the man stumbled. Nate caught her and steadied her.

"You okay?" He asked. She nodded and then turned to apologize to the man.

"I am so sorry," She said as she looked up. "I wasn't really looking where I was—"

"Ella?"

Her eyes snapped to his and they widened. She felt Nate's hand tighten on her arm just a little. "Darren?"

"H—Hi," he said with a warm smile. "How've you been?"

Ella pulled her arm out of Nate's hand and then wrapped her arms around Nate's chest to give him a light squeeze. He smiled softly at the reassuring gesture and put his arms around her shoulders.

"I've been good," She said with a small smile. "Work is busy, and on top of that I'm getting married in a couple of months, so—"

"You're…getting married?"

"Yes, she is," Nate said with a forced smile before he continued in a sarcastic tone. "To me, believe it or not."

Ella pinched his side lightly and he held back a wince. She held up her left hand and wiggled her ring finger. "We're actually on our way to register at Tiffany's."

"I see," Darren said stiffly. "Well, congratulations. I'm very happy for you. I hope everything goes well."

"Thank you," Ella said with a small guilty smile. She felt a bit like she were rubbing her happiness in his face. "Um, my mother said your practice was doing well?"

He nodded. "Yes, I have three different locations now. Spend most of my time driving in between all of them, but it's good. The kids are worth it."

Her eyes widened. "The—the kids?"

He smiled easily at her. "I'm in pediatrics now."

"But…you hated kids."

He sighed. "I didn't _hate_ them. I just…didn't understand them. Besides, didn't you always tell me you thought I would be great with kids? Turns out you were right. I actually am great with kids."

"Well, congrats on all your success," Nate said quickly. "Now, if you'll excuse us we actually have a meeting with our wedding planner in about two hours and we _really_ need to get going. Right, Ella?"

"Oh, right!" She said as she shook herself back to reality. "Of course, sorry! It was nice seeing you again, Darren. Good luck with everything."

"You too, Eleanor," He said with a smile and a wink. Nate felt Ella tense, and he cursed inwardly. Darren had been the only one to call Ella Eleanor in her entire life. Nate felt it was extremely inappropriate since that was something playful Darren had done while he and Ella were dating.

She huffed and gave him a blank look. "It's Ella, Darren. Not Eleanor."

"Sorry," He said with a wince. "Old habits die hard, I suppose. Goodbye, Ella. Bye, Nate."

"Darren," Nate said with a nod as he tugged Ella down the sidewalk.

"Bye, Darren," Ella said as she allowed Nate to pull her away.

When they were far enough away from Darren Ella pulled Nate to a stop. He turned to look at her. "What?"

She bit her bottom lip and squeezed his hand. "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay? He's _your_ ex. Shouldn't I be asking _you_ that?" Nate asked.

"Nate," Ella said slowly. "I know Darren bothers you. You've told me this before, so…are you okay?"

He smiled softly at her and pulled her to him slowly. "Just the fact that you're worrying about that makes me feel _so much_ better."

"I just…I love you, and I don't want you to worry about Darren," Ella told him. "He's in the past. _You're_ my future. Promise."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for soft lingering kiss. "Then I won't worry about him. Ever again."

She smiled brightly at him. "Promise?"

He nodded and pressed another quick kiss to her lips. "Promise."

"Good," she said happily. "Now, let's get to Tiffany's, shall we? We don't want to be late for our meeting with Marlene."

He smiled warmly at the back of her head as she pulled him down the sidewalk.

* * *

Two hours later they showed up at Marlene's office. The door opened and Brown came out first. Ella smirked knowingly and turned to face Nate. His eyes widened as Marlene gave Brown a quick kiss on the lips. Brown looked over at Nate and smiled.

"Nate," He said as he reached over and ruffled Nate's curls. Nate scowled and ducked his head to get away from Brown's hand. Brown gave Ella a quick hug. "Ella."

"You're in a good mood, Brown," Ella said with a smile.

"I've got a very good reason to be in a good mood lately, Ella," Brown said happily as he winked at Marlene. "I'll see you kids later. I'll call you later, Mar."

"Bye, B," Marlene said with a goofy smile.

Ella laughed quietly at the uncomfortable look on Nate's face. She leaned toward him with a smirk. "I think Marlene might eventually be your aunt."

Nate sighed. "I really don't want to think about Brown dating, thank you."

"Oh come on," Ella whispered as she elbowed him teasingly. "You're happy that Brown's happy. Admit it."

"I'm happy he's happy. I just wish I didn't have to _see why_ he's happy," Nate told her in a hushed tone.

Ella smiled at him in amusement. "You're a strange kind of grown up."

He smirked at her and glared playfully. "If that was your dad dating Marlene—"

Ella's face scrunched up. "Oh, gross. Don't even _joke_ about that."

Nate laughed and nodded. "That's what I thought."

"But that's different," Ella insisted. "Brown looks _right_ with Marlene. Petite, fiery, organized Marlene would just look all kinds of wrong with my grungy looking father."

"I really think the best thing for your dad is to just _stay_ single," Nate told her with a shake of his head.

"I agree," Ella said with a sigh.

"You kids ready to start this meeting now?" Marlene asked as she motioned them inside of her office.

"Oh, of course," Ella said as she laced her fingers through Nate's and pulled him into the office.

"Okay," Marlene said as they sat down. "Let's talk about what's been done so far. Brown gave me a tour of Camp Rock, and it's a very nice space. For the size wedding we've talked about it will be perfect. I nailed down a florist and I called that bakery we looked at, Ella, and put in the order for your cake. And, Nate, I hired that band you suggested. Also, Connie _just_ called to confirm that she _will_ be catering your wedding. We picked out your invitations last time, and I should be getting those in this week. When I hand them over to you feel free to ask for help stuffing and addressing them. That's all the news I have for you two so far."

Ella and Nate's eyes were wide as they stared at Marlene in shock.

"I—isn't that _everything_?" Ella asked.

Marlene nodded. "Everything that I need your input on, yes."

"Wow," Nate said in shock. "You're good. That was fast, and relatively painless."

Marlene laughed, and nodded. "Like ripping off a band-aid. Now, I believe all you have left to do is pick out tuxes, dresses, and mailing out the invitations. And you've got plenty of time left for that."

"Oh my God, dresses," Ella said suddenly. "I—how did I forget about dresses?"

Nate laughed. "You _forgot_ about dresses? Are you serious?"

"I haven't thought about them _once_. With everything with my family, and then all the other wedding things it just got lost in all the other stuff! I should have done that _first_. Now I'm going to have to match the dress to the centerpieces and the cake and all the other decorations, and then there's the bridesmaids' dresses…they have to match everything too," Ella said frantically.

Nate smiled softly at her and reached over to lace his fingers through hers. He soothingly ran his thumb across the length of hers. "Calm down, Ells. You've got time, and you've got the girls to help you. You'll figure it out. Take a deep breath, babe. There's no rush."

"That's right," Marlene said with a pleasant smile. "No rush at all, Ella. Don't stress."

Ella took a deep calming breath. "I'll just call the girls and the moms tonight and figure out a time to go looking for dresses. I have time in my schedule this week for that."

"And tuxes are easy," Nate told her with a grin. "Just need to decide on colors, and then we'll be done with that. Really, we're _almost_ done with wedding prep. There's a light at the end of the tunnel."

"Alright," Marlene said. "I think that's all we needed to talk about today. I'll be in touch about the menu for the wedding, and if you need anything else at all don't hesitate to call me."

Nate and Ella nodded and stood up. They shook Marlene's hand before they left her office and headed toward their car.

"Can you believe we're almost done planning the wedding?" Ella asked as Nate opened the passenger side door for her.

"Yes, yes I can," Nate told her with a chuckle. "Thank God."

* * *

They walked through the front door of Nate's house and Vicky greeted them.

"Hello, you two. How was the meeting?" She asked as she picked up Maggie and then hugged them both. Ella hugged her and then took the puppy from Vicky.

"It was great. There are only three things left for us to do. Tuxes, dresses, and invitations," Ella told her. "How was Maggie?"

"She was a little angel. She had one little nervous accident, _but_ she had it on the tile near the sliding doors. So, she knew to head outside," Vicky said with a laugh. "She's a very smart girl."

"Good," Nate said as he reached over and scratched behind Maggie's ears. "Just a couple more days and she should be officially house trained." Maggie licked at his hands as he petted her.

"Did she try and climb the over the gates?" Ella asked. "She's been doing that lately. She's determined to get on the stairs. Going up, I'm not really worried about. It's going down that scares me."

Vicky nodded. "She did try to climb over the gate that led downstairs to the studio. She didn't get very far though. She, sort of, slid off of it."

Ella laughed and petted Maggie's back as she held her. "Silly, silly puppy. You are not a cat. You can not climb _up_ things like that."

Maggie let out a short bark and wiggled in Ella's arms. Ella set her down on the ground and she immediately ran for the sliding glass doors. Ella hurried after her and opened the door. Maggie ran out into the newly fenced in back yard and hopped around in the grass and sniffed around for a good spot.

While Ella was busy with Maggie, Vicky turned to her son.

"Nate, are you okay?"

He blinked at her. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" She asked suspiciously. "You seem worried about something."

"I'm fine, mom, really."

She continued as if she hadn't heard him. "Did something happen? Did you and Ella get into a fight?"

"No, Ella and I did not get into a fight."

She squinted at him. "Something happened. What was it?"

He looked away from her and didn't say anything.

"Nate," She said sternly. "What's bothering you?"

He sighed. "We ran into Ella's ex today while we were out registering for gifts."

"_The_ ex? Darren?" Vicky asked in a whisper.

"That's the one," Nate told her.

"Oh, honey, I know that must have been uncomfortable for you," Vicky said as she patted his arm. "But I don't think you have anything to worry about. That girl loves you. I can tell. He missed the boat and she knows that."

"She said something similar," Nate told her.

"Well, there. You see? Nothing to worry about," Vicky said as she smiled and patted Nate's cheek. "Just forget all about it."


	13. The Dress

**A/N: **Okay, sorry this took me a little longer to get up. This week has been insane. Anyway, here's the latest chapter. No poll this week. There might be one next week. I'll let you know.

Happy reading,

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: The Dress

* * *

Both Ella and Nate were staring at their bathroom door. Another warbling whine sounded and Ella buried her head in Nate's chest. "I can't do it, Nate. I can't."

"We have to, Ells."

"But she just sounds so sad. Can't we just let her sleep up here with us for _one_ more night?" Ella asked.

"No, Ella. She needs to learn to sleep in _her_ bed."

Another whine came from behind the bathroom door followed by a short howl. Ella let out a whine of her own. "This is torture."

Nate put an arm around her and pulled her closer to him on the bed. He tugged the comforter up further around them and he kissed Ella's temple quickly. "Let's talk about something else."

"Yes, please."

He cleared his throat to drown out another tortured whimper from Maggie. "I was thinking, white ties and white vests for the tuxes. What do you think?"

"That could be nice. For everyone?" She asked.

His brow furrowed. "Yes, for everyone. Why?"

"Well, don't you want to stand out from the groomsmen? I mean you are going to be the most important one there. Without you there's no wedding," Ella said with a teasing grin.

He squinted thoughtfully and then nodded. "True. Okay, how about white on white for me and white ties and black vests for the groomsmen?"

She smiled brightly at him. "I like it. Very double-oh-seven."

His eye brows rose and grinned. "You think?"

She laughed and kissed him just below his ear. "Yes, James Bond would be proud."

"James Bond wouldn't be getting married," Nate pointed out with a smirk.

"It's a good thing you're not James Bond then, isn't it?" Ella asked a quirked brow and a lop-sided grin.

"Ouch," Nate said with a chuckle. "That was harsh, Ells."

"Not my fault you have a rich fantasy life," Ella said.

"Hey, you know if I'm Bond you'd be a Bond girl. You'd be the good one he should have believed all along," Nate told her.

"The one that everyone _thinks_ is bad but turns out to be working for the good guys?" Ella asked.

Nate nodded. "Yep, that'd be you."

"Hm, that could be fun," Ella said with a mischievous grin.

"You think so, huh?" He asked as he poked her side. She squealed and slid away from him.

"Don't you dare start, Nathaniel!" Ella said as she tried to slip out of the bed. She placed one foot on the floor before his arms wrapped around her waist and he pulled her back into the bed. She wasn't sure how he'd done it but somehow he'd managed to pull her underneath him and pin her wrists above her head.

"When are you going to learn that I am _much_ faster than you?" Nate asked with an evil smirk. "I will _always_ catch you."

"I don't think you're James Bond. I think you're the insane evil super-villain," Ella told him as she wiggled underneath him.

"I don't know, the super-villain never gets the girl, and I'm fairly certain I already have the girl," He said as his lips hovered over hers.

"Yes, you do," Ella told him with a warm smile.

Nate smiled slowly and then lowered his lips to hers. His tongue forced her lips apart and she wiggled her wrists to try and free them. Her fingers were itching to tangle themselves in his curls. She whimpered when he tightened his grip just a little. He knew he was torturing her. She always ran her hands through his curls. He deepened the kiss and slowed his pace. She moaned into his mouth and she wrapped her right leg around his left. She ran the outside of her socked foot along his calf. He groaned and released one of her wrists to lightly graze his hand along the outside of her thigh, knee, and the top of her calf. The hand that he'd released immediately buried itself in his curls at the nape of his neck. He continued to run a hand up and down the length of her thigh, and when his lips suddenly released hers and then landed on her neck she couldn't help but arch against him.

He'd certainly distracted her from Maggie.

* * *

Ella woke up and smiled slowly. She definitely enjoyed every morning she woke up with Nate's arms around her. She was quickly getting used to it. She glanced over at the clock radio on his night stand and her eyes widened.

"Shit," She muttered quietly.

She slowly tried to slip out of Nate's arms. She was extremely surprised when she succeeded. She grabbed her robe off of the nearby chair and walked into the large closet that was nearly half hers by now. She picked out an outfit and laid it out on the chair her robe had been on. As she set her things down she heard Nate stir. She looked up to find him giving her a groggy and confused look.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Getting dressed."

"Why?"

Ella smiled at him. "I have to meet my mother at my apartment."

"The apartment that you haven't been to in weeks? The one that only houses about _half_ of your stuff? That apartment?" He asked teasingly.

She rolled her eyes and grinned. "Yes, that apartment. I'm running late so I have to hurry, and since you're up and I need to get into the bathroom and shower…"

"You want me to get up and walk Maggie, don't you?" He asked.

She smiled sweetly at him. "Please? You just _know_ she's waiting for one of us to open that door."

He sighed laboriously but smiled at her. "Okay, give me a minute."

She waited patiently as he walked into the closet and came back out in sweats and a t-shirt. He quickly put on a pair of tennis shoes and then walked toward the bathroom door. He opened the door and a copper flash of fur sped passed them. Nate yelled as he chased after the pup, "Mags! Stop! You'll hit the—"

A crash sounded and was quickly followed by a loud whimper. Ella raced out into the hallway and found Nate picking up the eight week old dog.

"Is she okay?" Ella asked.

Nate laughed softly and gently petted the dog in his hands. "She's fine. She hit the safety gate and scared herself."

Ella chuckled and shook her head as she stepped closer to Nate and Maggie. She tugged one of Maggie's ears and then scratched behind both of them. "You silly little puppy, you're lucky that gate was there. You could have fallen down the stairs."

Maggie whined a little more and Nate shook his head. "If I open this gate are you going to go _slowly_ this time?"

Maggie blinked at him and wiggled in his arms. She let out a small bark.

Nate hesitantly put her down and opened the gate. Ella bit her bottom lip nervously as Maggie headed for the stairs, and then breathed a sigh of relief as the puppy took them one at a time. Nate kissed Ella's cheek before he followed Maggie down the stairs. He winked at Ella as he went. "I think she learned her lesson."

Ella sprinted back into the bedroom and quickly hopped in the shower. She got out dried her hair did her make up and then put her yellow and blue print sundress on. She paired a royal blue cardigan with it and a pair of matching blue heels. She pulled half of her hair back and then slipped on her stretch beaded daisy headband. She switched to her blue leather shoulder bag, and then headed down the stairs.

Nate came in with Maggie as she reached the bottom step. He let Maggie off the leash and then grinned at Ella. "You're awfully dressed up to meet your mother."

"I'm not just meeting my mom, Nate. Its dress shopping day with the girls," Ella reminded him. "I've got an appointment at that bridal boutique Marlene suggested."

"Still doesn't explain why you're so dressed up."

"The paparazzi got word of it. People have been calling the boutique asking for the time of my appointment. They called to tell me about it. They said they'd made no comment, but that I should be prepared," Ella told him with a sigh as she searched through her purse.

Nate huffed. "They haven't found out the date of the wedding have they?"

"I have no idea. I don't think so, though. I'm sure Marlene's phone would be ringing off the hook if they had," Ella told him.

"True," He said before he smiled slowly at her. "So, you're way of 'preparing' for paparazzo is to look absolutely stunning?"

She nodded. "Yes, that is my response. If they're going to take pictures of my every move then I'm going to make sure they're _good_ pictures."

He laughed and kissed her temple. "I'm glad they don't scare you."

She leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his torso. "They used to, _but_ most of them keep their distance and the ones that don't have to face Caitlyn's wrath. So I feel much better about the whole concept."

"And Caitlyn's going to be with you today, right?" Nate asked.

Ella nodded. "Oh yes, that's most of the reasons the paps are so interested. One rock star's new wife, another rock star's fiancé, and then another one's live in girlfriend. How can they resist?"

"Throw in the fact that you're also a rock star's daughter and it's much too good to pass up," Nate said as he hugged her close.

"Seriously, I'm not their biggest fan and _even I_ can't blame them," She said with a chuckle as she pulled away. "Alright, well I'm gonna go. I'm already going to be late as it is so I might as well stop for coffee and pastries on the way. That way if my mother's waiting outside I'll have an excuse to give her."

Nate's brow furrowed. "You're going to tell her you left your apartment, which _has_ a coffee maker, to go get coffee?"

"Do you have a better idea?" Ella asked.

He shook his head. "Not really, no."

"Then coffee and pastries it is," Ella said as she kissed his cheek and walked to the door. "I'll call you when we finish shopping for the day."

"Have fun," he called to her as she left.

* * *

Ella jogged down the hallway toward her apartment door and gulped when she saw her mother standing in front of her door impatiently.

"Hi, mom," Ella said as she tried to catch her breath.

"You're late," Lauren Do said sternly.

"I'm sorry. My coffee maker's broken so I went down the street to get us some coffee, and it was an absolute mob scene," Ella said as she handed her mother her coffee. "I also got you a piece of lemon pound cake. You know you love that."

Lauren quirked an eyebrow at her daughter and took the small paper bag from her. "Fine, you're forgiven. Maybe before we meet your friends at the boutique we should stop and buy you another coffee maker."

"Oh, no, mom, really. I'm sure we'll get one as a wedding present. I can buy coffee until then or I can just convince Nate to let me have his," Ella said with a smirk.

Lauren chuckled. "The boy would really give you his coffee maker?"

Ella chuckled and shrugged. "He knows how much I need coffee to wake up in the morning."

Lauren quirked a brow at her daughter once again as they reached the elevator. "Oh, does he?"

Ella's eyes widened and she chuckled nervously. "Yeah, um…you know from our Camp Rock days. I was a monster at breakfast every morning. We weren't allowed to have coffee as campers." She glanced down at her watch. "Oh, look at the time. We better go. My appointment's in half an hour."

* * *

Ella pulled up outside of this bridal boutique and immediately spotted the paparazzi waiting for her. Caitlyn, Mitchie, Dana, Peggy, and Mrs. Gray were already inside. Caitlyn waved to her from shop window, and Ella took a deep breath and waved back.

"Okay, mom," Ella said as she turned to face her. "There's photographers over there. They're going to shout things, and you never can predict what they're going to say but my advice to you is to ignore them and just head for the door."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Honey, I was dealing with paparazzi before you were even _born_. Trust me, I know how to handle these guys. Let's go."

Ella's eyes widened as her mother opened her door and briskly walked to the shop. The photographers swarmed her, and Ella reluctantly stepped out of the car. She mentally shut off her ears and focused on the door. Just as she reached for the door handle _one_ question caught her attention and she froze.

"Ella! Is it true Van Pador _refuses_ to come to your wedding?"

"Sweetie," Lauren said softly in her daughter's ear. "Open the door and head inside. They're just looking for a reaction."

Lauren reached around her daughter and opened the door, and then gently nudged Ella inside. As they walked further into the store Lauren rubbed Ella's back comfortingly. Ella stopped once they were away from the cameras and turned to her mother. "H—how did they hear about that? No one knows!"

"They're the paparazzi, Ellie. No one knows where they get their information from, but it's not important. Don't let them get to you," Lauren told her as she pushed Ella's hair out of her face. "This wedding is not about your father. He'll just have to suck it up and deal."

Ella let out a soggy chuckle and smiled softly at her mother. "You're right. This should be about me and Nate and no one else." Ella took a deep breath and her smile brightened.

"Feel better?" Lauren asked.

Ella nodded. "Yes, much."

"Good," Lauren said with a warm smile. "Now, let's go find your perfect dress, hm?"

"Yes, please," Ella said brightly. "Shopping is exactly what I need right now."

"Okay," Caitlyn said as they approached Ella and her mother. "The consultant wants to talk to you, but you should know the rest of us have each picked out a dress we think you should try on."

Ella's eyes widened. "You have?"

"Yes," Mitchie answered. "Well, all of us but Dana. She refused."

"I think you should pick out your own options. Only you really know what you want," Dana told her.

"The rest of us just wanted a chance to play with a human doll," Peggy said with a smirk. "And you're the most doll like person we know."

Mrs. Gray came over with Ella's consultant. "Ella, this is Mary. She's your consultant."

Ella shook the woman's hand. "Hello, it's wonderful to meet you."

"And you as well. Your friends have been telling me all about you and Nate and the wedding plans so far. It sounds like it's going to be gorgeous," Mary said pleasantly. "Why don't you come with me into my office and we'll discuss what kind of dress you're looking for. And is this your mother?"

Ella nodded. "Yes, this is Lauren Do. My mother."

"Well, Ms. Do, while I talk to Ella why don't you take a look around and pick out a dress for her to try on?" Mary asked.

"Oh, don't mind if I do," Lauren said eagerly as she immediately headed for the racks.

Mary leaned toward Ella and whispered. "Marlene gave me a heads up about your mother. She said it was best if I keep her busy."

Ella chuckled and smiled brightly at Mary as she followed her into her modest office. "Oh, Mary, I like you already."

Mary laughed and sat down at her desk and then motioned for Ella to sit down in the extra chair. "I'm glad. So let's start with your color scheme. What colors have you picked for your wedding?"

"Black, gold, and white. Most of the accents and decorations are gold though," Ella told her.

"Good to know, and I know what kind of dress all your friends have in mind for you, but what do _you_ think you want?" Mary asked. "Are you thinking strapless? Do you want a ball gown? What is it that _you_ want?"

Ella bit her lip as she thought. "Well, I wear strapless dresses all the time. So I was thinking maybe something with straps or small cap sleeves, and maybe something with a sweetheart neckline? I know that neckline would look great on me but I never actually wear it. Even though I suggest it to my clients all the time."

Mary took a few notes and then glanced up at Ella curiously. "What do you do?"

"I'm a stylist."

Mary's eyes widened and she smirked. "Oh, you're going to be one of those hard to please brides aren't you?"

Ella laughed. "I don't know about that, but I certainly _do_ know about fashion. So I won't be _easy_ to please that's for sure."

Mary laughed. "Don't worry, we'll find you something spectacular. Shall we get started?"

"Yes, let's," Ella said as she followed Mary and left her purse and sweater in Mary's office.

"Okay, so based on what you've said I know of a few that I definitely want to show you. So I'll go grab them and bring them to your dressing room. I'm going to walk you to your room and my assistant is going to help you try on one of the dresses your friends picked out while I browse for cap sleeves and sweetheart necklines. Sound good?" Mary asked as they reached her dressing room where her bridesmaids and the mothers were sitting on a very long couch. Mary motioned over a petite cheery blonde. "Ella, this is Allison. She's going to help you while I go track down some more dresses for you. Oh, I almost forgot. What's your budget?"

"I'd really like to keep this dress at around five thousand dollars. I can't really afford anything more expensive than that," Ella told her quietly.

Mary nodded. "Alright, I'll be right back with more dresses."

"Oh! Try on mine first!" Caitlyn said eagerly. "Allison knows which one it is."

Ella laughed and nodded. "Okay, will do." Allison handed her the dress and Ella went inside and put it on. Then she let Allison in to fasten the back of the dress and then Ella slowly stepped out toward the podium. This dress was empire waisted and the bodice was covered in beads. There were pearls and gems and silver beads mixed in with the small white beads, and the skirt was made of sheer flowing crepe. Ella smiled at her reflection. She loved the skirt. She looked like she was floating. The top was much too straight and rectangular for Ella's liking. But it was definitely a beautiful dress.

Mary came back and hung up the garment bag she held and then stood back to look at Ella. "Oh, you are absolutely stunning. What do we think girls?" Mary turned to look at the mothers and the bridesmaids expectantly.

"I adore the skirt," Peggy said with a smile.

Caitlyn nodded. "I agree. It's the main reason I picked it. It's very ethereal."

"I'm not crazy about the top though," Dana said. "The embellishments are beautiful but the shape isn't the best for Ella's body type."

Ella smiled softly at Dana. "Dane, I know you don't want to seem like you're pressuring me, but…every one else picked out something for me. You should too. Really, it'll be fun."

Dana bit her bottom lip. "Well, I did see a dress that I thought you'd look good in."

Mitchie nudged Dana's shoulder. "Then go get it. I want to see it."

"Okay," Dana said happily as she left the couch and headed back toward the racks.

"What do you think of it, Ella?" Mrs. Gray asked.

"I agree that the skirt is absolutely gorgeous. I love how it flows," Ella said as she kept her gaze on her reflection and swayed slightly. "But I don't think this is _the_ dress. The bodice isn't quite right. Excellent pick though, Cait."

Caitlyn smiled proudly. "Thank you. I learned from you."

"Me next!" Peggy said. "Try mine on next!"

Ella nodded and Mary handed her the dress Peggy had chosen. Ella immediately knew that this wasn't the dress. The neck line didn't dip at all. It was rounded and completely covered her collar bone and shoulders. The dress did have cap sleeves though. It fit tightly passed her hips and then skirt flowed outward. The skirt sort of resembled a waterfall. It was short in the front and long in the back. Ella stepped out of the dressing room and knew Peggy realized it wasn't the one either. Peggy's shoulders sagged and she frowned.

Ella smiled at her friend. "This dress would look much better on you, Pegs. It's just not my style."

"Yeah, I see that now. You do look good in it, though."

"Thank you," Ella chuckled. "Okay, who's next?"

"Try mine on, dear," Mrs. Gray said with a soft smile. "You probably won't pick it, but it reminded me of my dress. I just want to see what you look like in it."

Ella nodded. "Of course, Vicky. No problem."

This dress had a wide scoop neckline that showed off Ella's neck and shoulder's beautifully, but overall it was a little plain. It had an empire waist. There was a bow just under the left side of the bust. And the skirt was a single layer of satin the flowed elegantly. She stepped out of the room and Mrs. Gray's warm nostalgic smile was plenty of reason for Ella to have tried this dress on. It was too simple for what Ella had in mind, but she did think it was very elegant.

"Oh my goodness," Lauren Do said with a smile. "I love it. It's very classic. Excellent choice, Mrs. Gray."

"Oh, please," Vicky said as she smiled Lauren. "Call me Vicky. I insist."

"Vicky, then. Really, it's very beautiful."

"Yes, and she looks wonderful in it," Vicky said. "But I have a feeling it's too plain for Ella's tastes. Am I right, dear?"

Ella nodded slowly. "I do love it though, and I'm flattered that you would pick this for me…since it means so much to you."

"You're welcome. I'm just excited to officially have _two_ daughters now," Mrs. Gray said with a smile. She turned and winked at Mitchie. "And maybe I'll have _three_ sometime soon?"

Mitchie's eyes widened. "_Hey_, Ella. Why don't you try on mine now, hmm?"

Ella laughed. "You're not going to be able to avoid answering her _forever_, Mitch."

"Just help me change the subject just this once, please?" Mitchie asked.

Ella smirked and rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll try yours on."

Ella had to admit _this _dress was very tempting. It dipped just a little and showed off her neck and shoulders very well. The back and the sleeves had swirls and ovals cut out of it and it was embellished with sparkling transparent crystals and sequins. And the skirt flowed gracefully and a small train dragged behind her as she walked. It was an absolutely gorgeous dress. There was only one problem…

The embellishments were silver, and her color scheme involved gold. Not to mention, it didn't seem like a wedding dress. It was absolutely gorgeous and had a vibe that screamed old Hollywood, but it just didn't say wedding. At least not to Ella.

Mitchie looked disappointed when Ella stepped out of the dressing room. "Oh! I forgot that you picked _gold_ for your decorations. That's too bad, too. You would knock everyone dead in that dress."

"It's tempted me the most so far though, Mitch. I love how glamorous it is. I feel like I should be going to the Oscars in the 1930s in this dress. It's so slinky," Ella said as she twirled on the platform. Dana came back just then and handed Mary the dress she'd picked.

Dana smiled at Ella as she stood on the podium. "Did Mitchie pick that?"

Ella nodded.

Dana smiled at Mitchie. "It looks like you. Maybe it will still be here whenever you and Shane get married."

Mrs. Gray smirked. "Yes, _whenever_ that is."

"Thank you, Dana," Mitchie said dryly. "We had almost moved passed that."

"Okay, time to try on Dana's," Ella said happily. "And then I'll try on the one mom picked out."

Ella came back out in Dana's pick and found that it had a similar fit to the dress Mitchie picked out. Only instead of a Hollywood glam vibe it had more of an early 1900s vibe. It was covered in cream lace that fit snuggly over midsection, and then had a loose bust and cap sleeves. The skirt just barely touched the floor. Ella loved it. It was her favorite so far. She walked out to the platform and noted the smiles on every one's faces.

"Oh, Ella, that's beautiful," Lauren said with a soft smile.

"It's definitely the best one you've tried on so far," Peggy agreed.

Ella nodded. "I agree, but I'm just not…"

Mary smiled understandingly at Ella. "Not feeling the wow factor?"

"Yes! I mean it's beautiful and I think I look very lovely in it, but it's just not clicking," Ella said honestly.

She was starting to get a little frustrated. It's not that she thought this was going to be easy, but she'd hoped she'd be a little closer than this by now. She put on the dress her mother picked and tried not to roll her eyes. There was no way Ella was picking this dress. It's not that it was ugly, it just wasn't anything at all like Ella's style. It was also covered in cream lace. There were embellishments over certain areas of the lace that consisted of pearls and beading. There was a panel of ruched silk that wrapped all the around the middle of the dress, and the sleeves stopped just above her elbows. The skirt of the dress ended halfway down her calves. It was beautifully vintage, but not meant for her at all.

She stepped outside to show the group and glanced over at her mother.

Lauren smiled knowingly at her daughter. "You don't like it, do you?"

"Well, I mean…it's not terrible. It's just…not me."

"That's what I thought," Lauren said with a small smile and a sigh. "But I had to try."

"Alright," Mary said with a smile. "Now it's my turn. I've got a dress back here that I think you're going to _love_. C'mon."

Mary helped her put it on and the minute it was on Ella looked at her reflection in the small dressing room mirror. She gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. Her eyes watered and she smiled brightly. It was perfect. Cap sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, and an empire waist. The skirt flowed and fluttered like the first dress she tried on. She looked like she was floating. There were gold and rose colored bead embellishments on the bodice with gold lace mixed in. The dress itself was a lovely cream color. It just barely dragged against the floor as she walked.

Ella inhaled deeply and let out a tearful exhale.

"What do you think?" Mary asked with a warm smile.

"Mary, it's—it's _perfect_."

"Let's go see what everyone else thinks," Mary said as she opened the door. Ella walked out toward the platform and she could hear the collective gasp from her group.

"Oh, Ellie," Lauren said softly. "You're absolutely gorgeous."

"That's the dress," Mrs. Gray agreed with a soft sniffle and a nod.

Ella turned in the mirror and let out a soggy giggle. "Now, we just have to pray it's in my budget." She turned to Mary nervously. "After alterations and everything…how much?"

Mary bit her bottom lip. "Well, it falls a little outside of five thousand."

Ella winced. "How far outside?"

"An even seven after all the alterations."

Ella's shoulders sagged and she ran a hand across her forehead. "But I can't…I can't afford seven."

Mary smiled sadly. "If we get rid of some of the beading I can knock it down to six."

Ella tilted her head and tried to imagine the dress without some of the beading. "But the beading is just so beautiful. I can't imagine getting rid of any of it."

"That's the best I can do, Ella," Mary said regretfully. "I'm sorry."

"That's—that's okay," Ella said as she gulped and took a deep breath. "We'll just have to keep looking. There's no way I can afford to pay seven thousand."

"Well," Mitchie said softly. "Now we know what to look for though, right?"

"Yes, definitely," Dana added with a nod. "We can find you something just as good, if not better…that's within your budget."

Ella smiled weakly at them. "Thanks, guys." She sighed and stepped off the platform. "I'd better go change."

"No," Lauren said thoughtfully as she stood and approached Ella. Lauren smiled warmly at her daughter and played with the ends of Ella's hair absently for a moment. "You're not going to find anything as perfect as this. We all know that. This is _your_ dress, Ella. This is it."

"But, mom…I can't afford it. It's too much."

"Then…I'll help you. I'll pay the difference between the cost of this dress and whatever you have saved," Lauren said hesitantly. "You deserve this dress, and I want you to have it."

Ella beamed at her mother. "Y—you would do that?"

"Sweetheart, you're my only daughter. I would do _anything_ to make you happy. I may be strict and a little _mean_, but your happiness is really all I'm ever concerned about. Promise," Lauren told her with a warm smile.

Ella hugged her mother tightly. "Thank you, mommy."

Lauren laughed. "You haven't called me mommy in years. I like it."

Ella smiled at her mother as she released her and then turned to Mary. "We'll take the dress."

"Wonderful," Mary said with a bright smile. "Let me get our seamstress and we'll take your measurements, and then we'll discuss bridesmaid's dresses."


	14. Disappointment

**A/N:** Okay, so here's chapter Fourteen. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but you guys are the ones that need to like it so I'll leave it up to you. Let me know what you think in a review. (And _please_ review. I like reviews. They keep me motivated. I'm starting on the actual wedding stuff now which is a lot harder than I thought so I need all the motivation you guys are willing to give.)

Happy Reading!

angellwings

Chapter Fourteen: Disappointment

"So," Jason asked from his seat beside of Nate at the control panel. "Have you decided where you're taking Ella on your honeymoon yet?"

Nate flashed his oldest brother a lop-sided grin as he adjusted a few things while Shane recorded his vocals. "Not exactly. I've narrowed it down though. I figure it should be somewhere tropical. Ella's a beach girl. Always has been."

Jason nodded. "Hawaii?"

"It's on the list. But since we've already been there I'm looking at other options first," Nate said with a nod. Shane finished the verse and Nate stopped the backing track. He leaned into the microphone so he could talk to Shane. "Good job, man. I think we're done for the day."

"Sweet," Shane said excitedly. "We're done early for once."

He made his way out of the booth and sat down next to Jason and Nate.

"Well, the album's almost finished. We don't have much more to record," Nate told them. "We'll be done in the next two weeks probably. And then it will be up to the record company to do all the production stuff."

"And time for us to do photo shoots and album notes," Jason said with a chuckle.

"In other words," Nate said. "The boring stuff."

"For _you_ maybe," Shane said with a smirk. "I _like_ photo shoots."

"You _would_," Jason said with a roll of his eyes. "You're a ham."

The door to the studio opened and their manager peeked into the room. "Is it safe to enter or is Nate in work mode?"

Nate rolled his eyes. "Come on in, John. We're done."

"Great, we have a meeting with the label upstairs in five minutes," John said quickly as he motioned them out of the studio. "We need to get to the upstairs conference room. Let's go."

"Was this just arranged today?" Jason asked in surprise.

"Last minute," John told them. "They want to talk about a tour."

Shane's brow furrowed. "A tour? The album's not even finished yet."

"Believe me, guys, I know," John told them. "They want the album out and you guys touring as soon as possible."

"As soon as possible?" Nate asked worriedly. "I don't like the sound of that."

"They figure you'll be done recording in two weeks so they can get the album out by June and have you guys on tour in July," John said with a shake of his head as he led the guys out of the studio.

"Wait, wait," Nate said as he paused in the hallway. "June? I'll be on my honeymoon the first week of June, and then they want us out on tour in July? That's _two_ weeks after Ella and I get back. That's too soon."

John sighed. "Nate, be thankful they're giving you two weeks. I've been negotiating with them about this all day. They wanted you out on tour in the middle of June which would have been _days_ after you and Ella get back. Be glad I talked them out of _that_. I've pushed them back as far as I can. I talked them into kicking it off on July fourth. They're not going to budge any more."

Nate huffed. "Great. Awesome. So Ella's going to be alone for the first—what?—three months of our marriage? Gee, she's going to love that."

Jason patted Nate's shoulder. "She won't be happy, no, but she knew this was coming, man. She'll understand."

Nate nodded. "I know she'll understand, but that doesn't mean she'll _like_ it."

"If it helps," John said as they reached the elevator. "I got them to give you guys a two week hiatus halfway through the tour. So, you'll only be gone for a month and a half at a time."

Nate sighed as they all got into the elevator. He was not looking forward to going home tonight. Telling Ella about this tour would _not_ be fun.

* * *

Nate had spent the majority of the day trying to find a way around his current problem, but he'd had very little luck. He exhaled nervously as he pulled into the garage and turned off his car. He opened up the door that led from the garage to the kitchen and found Ella cooking. She smiled brightly at him as he entered the house.

"Hey, babe. I actually got home before you for once. Recording run late?"

"No, not recording. We had a last minute meeting with the label," Nate told her cautiously.

Ella's eyebrows rose. Last minute meetings with the label were _never_ good. "Oh? Anything wrong?"

"Not really. They wanted to talk about the album release," Nate said as he released a nervous breath. "And a tour."

"Wow," Ella said with a strained smile. "They already want to talk about a tour? They must really have a lot of faith in you guys to put butts in those seats, huh?"

Nate grinned half heartedly. "Apparently." He paused before he spoke again. "We need to talk about it, Ells."

She bit her bottom lip and gave him a worried look. She turned off the stove and then focused her attention on him expectantly. "What's wrong?"

"It's not _wrong_ per say just…not convenient for _us_," He said with a sigh. "They picked a date for the release _and_ the tour."

"I don't think I'm going to like this," Ella said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't like it myself," Nate told her honestly.

"What dates did they pick?" Ella asked hesitantly. She almost didn't want to know.

"They want the band in New York for three days by June 12th for the album release," He said. That was a nice ice breaker, he thought. It was soon, but it was only for three days. Ella could definitely handle that.

"Is that all?" She asked with a chuckle. "Well, that's not so bad. I mean, it is really soon after we get back, but it's only three days, Nate. It's not a problem. You had me thinking they wanted you gone for like three months or something."

"I'm not finished," Nate said regretfully. "I haven't told you the date for the tour kickoff yet."

Her brow furrowed and she huffed. "You were giving me the good news first weren't you?"

He didn't bother answering that. He knew he didn't need to. "They want to kick off the tour in LA on July 4th."

She let out a very soft almost inaudible gasp, and glared at him thoughtfully. "So, first, just _days_ after we get back from our honeymoon you're headed to New York—"

"You said it wasn't a problem."

"And _then_," She said as she talked over him. "You'll be home for probably, at _most_, a week before you're gone to start tour rehearsals? Is that what I'm hearing?"

"Yes."

"Okay," She said blankly with a nod. She turned back to the stove and turned on the burners she needed. "Good to know. Maggie's in the backyard. Let her in and make sure she's got food?"

"Ella—"

"She's been out there for a long time. She needs to come inside," Ella said as she ignored his attempt to speak.

Nate's shoulders slumped and he huffed. "Fine."

As he walked away he could hear Ella slamming things around the kitchen. She was definitely mad. He opened the sliding glass door that led to he fenced in back yard and let Maggie in. She came bounding through the door. Her paws hit the hardwood and she slid to a frantic stop just in front of the couch. Even with Ella mad at him he still couldn't help but smile at the pup in amusement. Maggie whined and pawed at the floor until she could finally stand and then she took off for the laundry room where she knew her food and water bowls would be waiting for her.

Nate chuckled and shook his head as he followed Maggie into the laundry room. He filled both bowls and then left her to eat. When he came back to the kitchen Ella was splitting the food between two plates. She shoved the plate into his hands and then briskly walked away toward the living room. Nate set his plate down and rushed ahead of her to set up a TV tray for her. He got two trays set up just as she reached the living room and he motioned to the one he'd placed on her usual side of the couch, and waited for her to sit. She glared at him and then purposefully sat down in _his_ spot.

Okay, he thought. He probably deserved that.

He went back to the kitchen and grabbed his plate before sitting down at the left over tray. Maggie came back into the living room and headed for her usual spot at Ella's feet but then looked up at him in confusion. _You're not Ella_, her eyes said accusingly. Maggie shook herself and then walked past him. Maggie wedged her way behind Ella's feet and situated herself snuggly in between Ella and the couch.

Nate sighed again as Ella turned on the television and focused on whatever reruns were on at the moment. She wasn't talking, and she didn't appear to _want_ to talk anytime soon.

"Ella…"

"Nate, don't."

"I'm sorry, okay? But it's not like I _asked_ them to send me on tour that soon."

Ella stared at him and spoke up dryly, "Wow, _great_ apology, Nate. I'm _completely_ okay with this now."

"Ella, you're making this difficult."

"Yes, I am," She admitted. "If I'm going to be alone for the first three months of our marriage I think I deserve to be at least a little difficult. Now hush. I'm trying to watch…well, _whatever_ this is."

"You knew this was going to happen eventually, Ells."

"Yes, the keyword being _eventually_. I figured we'd have _at least_ a month to get used to being married before anything tour related started," She told him. "But no, we've got _a week_. That's barely enough time to move the rest of my stuff in here."

"Ella, I'll be back halfway through the tour for _two_ weeks. I won't be gone the entire three months. You're being over dramatic."

She glared at him and snapped. "What?"

He winced and cursed himself. "I didn't mean that."

She ignored him and turned back around to glare at the television. She wasn't even watching it. He could tell. She just didn't want to look at him. He needed to fix this. The questions was: _how_?

Ella flipped through the channels again and he spotted an old black and white film version of Macbeth as she did so, he smirked slowly as an idea came to him. Maybe she would forgive him if she saw _him_ being over dramatic. Time to pull out his rather useless knowledge of the monologues in Macbeth. He'd read it too many times to count. It was one of his favorites.

"_He has almost supped. Why have you left the chamber? _

_Was the hope drunk _

_Wherein you dressed yourself? Hath it slept since?"_

He began to recite dramatically. His voice was quiet at first but grew louder as Ella slowly turned her attention to him. Her brow furrowed and she looked sincerely confused.

"_And wakes it now to look so green and pale _

_At what it did so freely? From this time _

_Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard _

_To be the same in thine own act and valor _

_As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that _

_Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life, _

_And live a coward in thine own esteem, _

_Letting "I dare not" wait upon "I would," _

_Like the poor cat i' the adage?"_

Ella's eyes widened and her eyebrows rose as Nate carefully pushed back his tray and stood on the couch. Her jaw dropped and she looked up at him in shock. Nate had to work very hard to keep a straight face and not laugh at her expression. Maggie perked to attention and came out from behind Ella's legs to stare at him with a tilted head. Her ears nearly stuck straight up as she watched him in confusion. He decided he needed to use his arms more. He started to wave them wildly as he spoke.

"_What beast was't then _

_That made you break this enterprise to me? _

_When you durst do it, then you were a man; _

_And to be more than what you were, you would _

_Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place _

_Did then adhere, and yet you would make both. _

_They have made themselves, and that their fitness now _

_Does unmake you—"_

"Nate! Nate!" Ella exclaimed as she struggled not to grin. "What are you _doing_?"

He jumped off the couch and knelt at her feet. She gave him a worried glance and then nearly jumped out of her skin when he moved the tray and then wrapped his arms around her legs. He gave her an apologetic look before he began speaking desperately. "Oh, Please please please please please please, forgive me! Please! I'm begging you Ella Billie Pador from the bottom of my very regretful heart to _forgive me_! I'm an idiot! You absolutely without a doubt have to forgive me! I don't know what I'll do if you don't—"

Ella started to chuckle lightly and before he knew it she was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. He had his cheek pressed to her knee and she doubled over at the sight. He didn't let up, though. He grabbed her hands and began to peck the backs of them with kisses.

"Okay! Okay!" Ella yelled through her laughter and tears. "You're forgiven! After that display how could I _not_ forgive you?"

He smiled brightly at her and placed a lingering more serious kiss on the back of her hand. He stayed where he was, kneeling in front of her and kept her hands in his. "I really am incredibly sorry, Ells. You're not over dramatic. It's perfectly understandable for you to be upset about this. I don't blame you at all, but I've done everything I know to do and as much I would _love_ to stay here with you, I can't. It's just not possible no matter how much either of us want it to be."

She sighed sadly and knelt next to him on the floor. She wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her face in the crook of his neck. She placed a light kiss there and then looked back up at him. "I'm sorry. I know that this is one of your passions and your job and that it's very important to you. It was very selfish of me to get so upset with you over this. I should have known that you would have tried everything to give us a little more time together. And you're right, I did know this was coming. I'll be fine, and it's not like we won't get to see each other for an _entire_ three months. Really, I just need some time to get used to the idea. I love you, and I'm going to miss you like crazy, that's all."

"I'll miss you too, Ella. Believe me," Nate told her with a sad smile. "But we've made it through tours before and we can do it again."

She smiled and nodded. "Yes we can. Now we just need to decide one thing."

"What's that?" He asked.

"Do you want me to take my week of vacation during the two weeks that you're home _or_ do you want me to come visit you for a week while you're _on_ tour?" Ella asked him before she leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.


	15. The Bridal Shower

**A/N:** Hey guys! So the Indie Camp Rock awards are starting up again. And I was asked to spread the word about nominations. They ask they you nominate authors and stories that you think deserve more notice than what they've got. So, I wouldn't nominate those stories out there that have 200 and some reviews. From what I understand the Indie CR Awards are for the underdogs and the unconventional pairings.

So check out the categories here and nominate here:

_indiecrawards(dot)wufoo(dot)com(slash)forms(slash)nominatons-for-the-indie-camp-rock-awards_

Or you can check out their website here:

_www(dot)wix(dot)com(slash)indiecrawards(slash)main_

Or you can get in touch with them on Twitter:

_www(dot)twitter(dot)com/indiecrawards_

**Go nominate away!** I have! I actually plan on doing some more nominating very soon!

Happy reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: Bridal Shower

* * *

It had been a while since Nate had been alone with Maggie. Maggie was very attached to Ella. If she had a choice between sitting at Ella's feet or Nate's then she would always choose Ella's. Maggie was very clearly a mama's girl. So when Ella headed for the door that Saturday morning Maggie followed her, whining all the way.

Ella gave her an amused look and scooped her up. She scratched the top of Maggie's head as she talked to her.

"Sorry, girl, you're gonna have to stay here. I'm not sure how Bandit would react to another dog," Ella said with a chuckle. Jason and Caitlyn had a small white bulldog that had a black mask shaped spot around his eyes. They'd named him after Jonny Quest's bulldog in the old Hanna-Barbera cartoon. "You'll have to stay with Nate today, okay?"

"Great," Nate said dryly. "She doesn't even want to spend the _day_ with me. Love you too, Mags."

Ella laughed lightly and gave Nate a pointed look. "She loves you. She's just not as comfortable with you. That's all. Are the guys coming over?" Ella asked as she set Maggie back down on the floor. Maggie yawned and retreated to her blanket covered ottoman…across the room from Nate.

"Yes. Caitlyn kicked Jason out of the house for the shower so he's coming over, and then Shane's just bored. We're gonna hang out. Not sure what we're going to do, but we'll be here all day," Nate told her.

"Well, then use your day of nothing to bond with Maggie. Cuddle with her or something," Ella said as she picked up her purse from beside the door.

"Cuddle with the dog?" Nate asked.

Ella grinned and rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, Nate. Cuddle with the dog. Love on the dog. And then she will love you back."

"How do you suggest I do that?" He asked.

"I don't know. Put her on the couch next to you. Scratch behind her ears or across her belly. Take off her collar and pet her neck and her back. Just…show affection, Nathaniel. Dogs like that sort of thing."

"Right," He said with a nod. "Affection."

Ella chuckled at him. "Yes, it's something most living things appreciate. Including your fiancé."

Nate smirked at her. "I'll keep that in mind."

"You better, Mister," She said as she walked over and kissed him quickly. "I'll be back sometime after six. Hopefully with lots of goodies."

"Have fun," Nate told her as she turned and headed for the door.

"It's a Caitlyn party," Ella said with a smile. "Fun is implied."

* * *

Ella arrived at Caitlyn's just as the guests started to file in. Almost all of Ella's employees were there, along with her usual friends. She spotted Nate's grandmother and Mrs. Gray chatting with her own mother. Ella's eyes widened at that. She searched for any signs that would tell her to step in, but she saw none. The three women _appeared_ to be getting along. Maybe her mother was starting to come around. Marlene was there as well. She was currently in a conversation with Nate's aunts from his father's side. Ella wondered if Grandma Gray put them through the same test herself, Caitlyn, and Mrs. Gray had been forced to endure. Probably, she thought as she made her way over to her group of hostesses (Dana, Caitlyn, and Mitchie.)

"Guys," Ella said with a grateful smile. "This looks wonderful!"

"You think this looks wonderful? Wait until you see all of your loot," Caitlyn said with a smirk.

"Yeah, you better be careful on your way home. Someone's gonna think you robbed a homegoods store," Dana told her with a chuckle.

"No," Mitchie said with a chuckle. "This is Ella we're talking about. They'll think she robbed _Tiffany's_."

Ella blushed and rolled her eyes at them. "We didn't register _that_ much stuff at Tiffany's. Just the china and the silver. And maybe a picture frame or two."

"Just wait until we get to the games," Mitchie said excitedly. "Oh, it's going to be so much fun."

Ella glanced at Caitlyn worriedly. "Games? Like cheesy organized games?"

Caitlyn rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Mitchie and Dana insisted. They had the majority. Sorry, Ells."

"There's pin the veil on the bride—"

Ella's eyes widened. "Please tell you do not plan to use the _actual_ bride for that."

Caitlyn snorted and covered her hand with her mouth. "Oh God, I can see it now. Someone pokes Ella's eye out and we have to rush her to the emergency room. Worst. Bridal shower. Ever."

"I'd like to be puncture wound free at the end of this party, please," Ella told them with a smirk. "If that's at all possible."

Dana chuckled before she spoke. "You're starting to sound like Nate."

Ella's eyebrows rose and she laughed loudly. "Oh my God! I am! Wow, that's hilarious."

"No," Caitlyn said with a grin. "What would be hilarious is if _he_ started to sound like _you_. Now that would be _truly_ funny."

"Oh no!" Ella cried through her laughter. "I've got that image in my head now! It's never going to go away!"

* * *

"Dude, coaster," Nate said as he glared at Jason expectantly.

Jason rolled his eyes and placed a coaster under his drink can. "My bad, _Ella_."

"Hey! I don't want to hear her complaining about rings on the coffee table okay? So sue me," Nate said as he glanced at Maggie and patted the empty spot on the couch next to him. Maggie gave him a suspicious look and Nate smirked at her. "I promise, I will not tell Ella you were on the couch, okay? Come on."

Maggie's ears perked and her tail wagged as she hopped up onto the couch and then snuggled into Nate's side. He was definitely taking Ella's advice. She was right. Maggie needed more affection from him to feel comfortable.

"Hey, Maggie," Jason said as he glanced at the puppy that was now settled between himself and Nate. She lifted her head and turned to look at him. "You're already like two times the size you were at the engagement party, you know that?"

She gave him a bored look for several moments before returning her head to Nate's lap. Nate laughed and scratched behind her ears.

"I think she knows, Jase."

"She's gonna be a pretty big dog," Jason said with a smile. "Just the right size to protect Ella while we're on tour."

Nate sighed. "I still don't like how soon we're leaving."

"I know, man," Jason said sympathetically. "And I'm sorry about that, but the label won't budge."

"Okay," Shane said from his spot in the adjacent chair. "This is something I've been dying to ask you guys. And something I've been unsuccessfully trying to figure out by myself."

Nate and Jason exchanged worried glances before turning to Shane expectantly.

"What's the deal with marriage? Why is it so important? And what's the difference between being married and _living together_?" Shane asked in a truly confused and frustrated tone.

Jason's eyes widened. "Wow, bro. That's more like _several_ questions. Several _big_ questions."

"Everything okay with you and Mitchie, man?" Nate asked worriedly.

"Well, I think so. I mean we had a huge fight the other night, but I'm pretty sure things are better now. I just…I don't understand why marriage is so important to _everyone_," Shane said with a furrowed brow. "How is it any different than what Mitchie and I are already doing?"

"There's really only one big difference, Shane," Jason told him with a small smile. "It's true that some couples who live together _stay_ together and don't really need to be technically married, but…for most of us marriage is a display of lifetime commitment. It's telling the world that you're with the only person you could ever truly love. That's what it was for me and Caity anyway."

Nate nodded. "I agree with you, Jase. Ella's it for me, and I want everyone to know that. I want everyone to know that I'm committed to her and that _nothing_ will ever change that."

"So, you're not afraid of divorce…at all?"

Jason chuckled. "Caity and I have discussed it. We've decided it's not an option. At all. I think one of the big problems is that people go into marriage thinking, 'oh well, if it doesn't work out I'll just get a divorce.' To me, that's like saying the marriage is over before it really starts. Caity and I have never taken that attitude about our relationship. Divorce is the worst case scenario. It's the absolute _last_ solution to _any_ problem."

Nate and Shane looked at Jason thoughtfully. For once, he actually _sounded_ and _looked_ older than the two of them. Both brothers suddenly had a new respect for Jason. Not that they hadn't respected him before as a brother and a friend, but this respect felt different. This was the type of respect felt for a role model or someone you truly aspire to be like. Nate nodded slowly.

"Ella and I haven't really talked about divorce. I don't think she likes to think about it. Whether she admits it or not, her parents really did a number on her," Nate told them with a sad sigh. "It's been something we've had to work through from the very beginning. Even _before_ we started dating." Nate smiled softly before he continued and focused his eyes on Maggie instead of his brothers. "I work very hard to show her that I'm here and that I'm not like her father. I want her to know that she definitely has at _least_ one person who will always be around."

"Do you think she gets that yet?" Shane asked curiously.

Nate nodded. "I think she does. It took a while, but I think she finally sees that history doesn't have to repeat itself and that we're not doomed to make our parent's mistakes."

"What's up with you, man?" Jason asked Shane curiously. "You thinking about proposing to Mitchie?"

Shane sighed. "I really don't know. I'm just trying to get my head straight, right now."

* * *

"Hey, Ella?" Mitchie asked her friend quietly.

Ella turned and smiled easily at her. "Yes?"

"Did you and Nate ever talk about marriage before he proposed?" She asked.

Ella shook her head. "No, we never did. I was too afraid to. I thought I might scare him away if I did. Why? Have you and Shane been talking about it recently?"

"Well, arguing about it, really," Mitchie said with a sigh. "I mean, we patched things up last night, but…I don't know."

"Well, how did it end up?" Ella asked sympathetically.

"He said he wanted to make sure he was _ready_ and that he knew what being married meant before we actually got married," Mitchie said with a sigh.

"That's good, though, Mitch," Ella assured her. "At least I think so. He'll, hopefully, be completely prepared when ever you guys finally _are_ ready."

Mitchie nodded. "That's what I told him. But…I'm still worried he'll _never_ be ready. You know?"

Ella hugged her taller friend and then squeezed her shoulder. "He will be. He's just confused right now. Give him a bit more time. You'll see."

Mitchie smiled at her. "I hope you're right."

Suddenly Caitlyn and Dana joined the conversation. "You and Nate had your big wedding breakdown yet?"

Ella's eyes widened. "Wedding breakdown?"

Dana nodded. "The big fight that almost ruins the whole thing. Andy and I had one."

"Jason and I definitely had one. The first day we arrived at the house in Hawaii," Caitlyn told them.

"Really?" Mitchie asked curiously.

"Yep, luckily we had it resolved by the time you guys arrived, but it was touch and go for a while," Caitlyn admitted.

Ella gulped fearfully. "No, we haven't had one of those yet."

"Be on the look out for it," Dana warned her. "The last couple of weeks before the wedding bring out all of those hidden insecurities."

"Great," Ella said quietly. "That's just what I wanted to hear."

Mitchie put an arm around Ella's shoulders and gave her a side hug. "Don't let them scare you, El. I'm sure you and Nate will be fine."

"Of course," Caitlyn said with an apologetic glance. "Sorry, Ells. I have a hard time shutting up some times. It's why I keep Jason around."

Dana blushed in embarrassment as well and grabbed Ella's hand. "Come on, let's open presents. That'll make you feel better."

Ella smiled and let Dana drag her over to her presents, but she was still worried. Dana and Caitlyn's warning settled in the back of her mind and stayed there. She didn't think the fear would be going away anytime soon.


	16. The Big Fight

**A/N:** Hey guys! So the Indie Camp Rock awards are starting up again. And I was asked to spread the word about nominations. They ask that you nominate authors and stories that you think deserve more notice than what they've got. So, I wouldn't nominate those stories out there that have 200 and some reviews. From what I understand the Indie CR Awards are for the underdogs and the unconventional pairings.

So check out the categories here and nominate here:

_indiecrawards(dot)wufoo(dot)com(slash)forms(slash)nominatons-for-the-indie-camp-rock-awards_

Or you can check out their website here:

_www(dot)wix(dot)com(slash)indiecrawards(slash)main_

Or you can get in touch with them on Twitter:

_www(dot)twitter(dot)com/indiecrawards_

**Go nominate away!**

Nominations close **June 15th**!

Happy reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Sixteen: Big Fight

* * *

"Are you gonna be okay while I'm gone?" Nate asked as he stood in the living room with his arms wrapped around Ella.

She smiled softly at him and nodded. "No worries, Nate. I've got Maggie remember?"

"You're sure?" He asked again.

She rolled her eyes and laughed softly. "Nate, stop worrying. It's just a couple of days. I promise you I will be alive and well when you get back."

"You've never been alone in this house before. I just want to make sure—"

"I'll have to get used to it sooner or later, won't I?" Ella asked knowingly. "You're only going to be in New York for two days. Besides, what would you do if I _wasn't_ okay with this? You can't back out of your appearances, and you know that. So, just go, and don't worry about me. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself."

He sighed and smiled gently at her. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just want you to be comfortable here, that's all."

She lightly placed one hand on his cheek and then leaned forward to kiss him slowly. She pulled away and smiled affectionately. "And I love that. But I think for me to truly be comfortable here I _need_ to spend some time in the house alone. This'll be good for me. I promise. And if things get too intense I'll grab a few things and Maggie and head to my mom's or my apartment. Okay? Does that satisfy you, oh great worrier?"

He laughed and kissed her forehead. "Yes, thank you."

"Now, you'd better go or you're going to be late picking up the other guys," Ella said as she kissed him once again and walked with him to the door. She started to pull away but Nate gave her a playful glare and pulled her back in. She chuckled at him and shook her head. "You're going to be late."

"So? It's a private jet. It'll wait," He said with a smirk.

"You're such a spoiled rock star," Ella said teasingly as he leaned toward her to kiss her again. Ella sighed happily as his lips met hers and he deepened the kiss. He then placed a few more short kisses on her lips before he reluctantly pulled away.

"Two days," He told her. "I'll be back in two days."

She nodded and smiled. "I know, now go already before your manager calls to yell at you."

"He'd never do that," Nate said with a wink. "I'm the only _sane_ Gray brother."

Ella laughed and rolled her eyes and shoved him out the door. "Will you just go? I love you, but you're totally dragging this out. Goodbyes are not the easiest thing in the world, mister."

"Alright," He said with a grin as he walked down the first two steps. "I'm gone. Love you."

"Love you too," Ella told him with a sad smile. "Have fun!"

He waved before he got into his car and drove away. She watched him until he was out of her line of sight. She sighed and went back inside. She glanced down at her watch and cursed. She had about twenty five minutes to finish getting ready for work. Her hair was done, but she still had to get dressed and finish her make up. She jogged up the stairs and quickly finished getting ready. She put food in Maggie's outdoor bowl and let her out into their fenced in yard before she headed off for work.

It was going to be a long two days. She could already tell.

* * *

Ella had decided to focus on work. It was making the time go a lot faster. Yesterday flew by because she made herself focus on getting as much done as possible. Tomorrow Nate would be back, and she couldn't wait. So far, she'd been okay having the house to herself. Sure, it was _huge_ and almost _too_ quiet, but having Maggie around certainly helped.

Ella rolled up the sleeves of her sweater and tilted her head as she stared at her dressmaking mannequin. She was working on an outfit for Mo from Lemonade Mouth, and so far she was happy with it, but…

It was missing something. She just didn't know what.

Her stomach growled and she huffed.

Rachael, her assistant, gave her a confused look. "Problem, boss?"

"I'm stuck," Ella told her. "It's missing something, but I don't know what to add."

"Obviously, you're so hungry you can't think straight. You need a break," Rachael told her with a friendly smile. "Let's get out of here and get some lunch."

Ella groaned and rubbed her forehead. "Can't we just order delivery? I'm not in the mood to go out."

"Boss-lady, you can _not_ shut yourself off from the outside world just because your fiancé is on another coast. That is no way to live," Rachael said with a stern glance and a soft smile. "We'll go to Vidalia down the street. It'll be quick, but at least you'll get out and get some sunshine. You need color, sweetie. You're looking pale."

Ella laughed and rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks, Rach."

"Just tellin' you how it is, doll," Rachael said with a wink as she tossed Ella her purse. "Come on, crawl out of your cave and be social."

"I don't know…"

"God, okay I know you love your fiancé and all, but your musician boyfriend's reclusive ways are really starting to rub off on you," Rachael scolded her. "Don't make me drag you out of here by your hair, girly."

"Don't you _dare_ touch my hair!" Ella said with a playful glare. "It took me forever to do anything with it this morning."

"Then march, missy," Rachael said as she pointed to the office door.

"Alright, alright," Ella said with a grin. "I'm going."

She and Rachael set out to Vidalia's and as they were led to their table by a hostess Ella heard someone calling her name.

"Ells!"

She tensed immediately when she got a closer look at who it was. "Not good."

"What? Who is that guy?" Rachael asked as they both sat down.

"My ex. Darren," Ella told her as she plastered on a smile.

Rachael winced. "I'm guessing Nate doesn't like this guy?"

"Not a single bit," Ella said without moving her lips. "What do I do?"

"Be polite? But not friendly?" Rachael suggested weakly. "I really have no clue."

"Oh God," Ella said as she took a deep breath. "Cross your fingers that there are no photographers around. Or else I'm in _big_ trouble."

"Oh come on," Rachael said with an amused grin. "Surely it won't be _that_ bad."

"You don't understand, Nate—"

"Ella!" Darren said brightly as he finally reached their table.

"Darren," Ella said politely as she stood and gave him a very brief side hug.

"What are you up to today?" He asked as she sat back down.

"Just on my lunch break," Ella told him with a small smile.

"Me too," He said brightly as he sat down in one of their two extra chairs. Ella's eyes widened and she gave Rachael an uncomfortable glance. "So where's Nate?"

Ella bit her bottom lip and smiled reluctantly. "He's off doing some interviews in New York. He'll be back tomorrow."

"He left you all alone?" Darren asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well, I couldn't go with him. Lemonade Mouth has a benefit performance this week and I'm responsible for their wardrobe," Ella said as she forced a smile. Something moved beyond the bushes that separated the restaurant's patio from the sidewalk, and Rachael hit Ella's arm softly.

Photographers.

_Great_, Ella thought sarcastically.

"Listen, I feel bad about how I acted the last time we bumped into each other. I realized afterward that I might have been inappropriate what with Nate standing right there and…"

"Darren, you _were_ inappropriate, and you would have been whether Nate had been there or not," Ella said with a sigh.

He reached forward and covered her hand with his. "I'm sorry, Eleanor. Really."

"Hey, dude," Rachael said as she tapped Darren's knuckles from across the table. "Hands off."

Ella gave Rachael a thankful look. "It's Ella, not Eleanor."

"Ella," Darren said sadly as he reluctantly released her hand. "I…I miss you."

If the cameras weren't just on the other side of the bushes she would have slapped him. He missed her? _He missed her_? He was making a move on her even though he _knew _she was engaged. God, why had she ever been in love with him?

"That's your own fault, Darren. I've moved on. I'm happy, alright?" Ella said with forced politeness. "You and I are over."

"You're happy? Your fiancé is a celebrity who has to share his life with you _and_ the rest of the world. He'll be gone for a good portion of the year, and you're _happy_? I know you, Ella. This can't be what you really want," Darren said as he shook his head.

"Oh my God," Ella said in disgust. "I can not believe you. I _love_ Nate. I don't care what comes with him, _he's _the one I want. I'm _marrying _him, Darren."

"I'm sorry I really just don't—"

"I think you should leave now," Ella said as she tried desperately to hold back a glare.

"No, not just yet."

"Fine, Rachael?" Ella said as she picked up her purse and stood from the table. "Then _we'll_ leave. I would really appreciate it if you would leave me alone from now on, Darren. At least until you realize that you and I are definitely over."

As she walked past him he surprised her with a hug and before she could pull away he placed a kiss on her cheek. She jumped away from him and glared.

"Okay, okay," Darren said quickly. "I'm gone. You'll never see me again. I get it, Eleanor."

"It's _Ella_," She repeated through clenched teeth.

"I'll leave," He said with a sigh. "You stay. Enjoy your lunch."

Rachael glared at the back of Darren's head as he walked away. She turned to Ella and muttered, "What a douche."

Ella bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath, "Oh God, there were cameras. He kissed me on the cheek and there were cameras! What am I going to do? _What_ am I going to do?"

"Calm down," Rachael said as she placed a hand on Ella's shoulder. "Just talk to Nate. Tell him what happened _before_ they put it in the papers. He needs to hear what happened from you. Not the tabloids."

"I'm suddenly not hungry anymore," Ella said as she ran a hand through her hair. She turned to Rachael and shook her head. "I told you we should have ordered delivery. Can we get out of here?"

"Sure thing, boss," Rachael said as they both stood and left the table.

As they walked back toward her office Ella tried Nate's number. He didn't answer. She sighed when she got his voicemail. "Nate, we need to talk. Call me whenever you have time, please? Soon? Love you. Hope you're having fun."

"Voicemail?" Rachael asked.

"Yes, unfortunately."

Nate didn't call her back that day. She tried him again before she went to bed and couldn't get a hold of him then either. She knew his flight was early the next morning. If she didn't get him that night she wouldn't be able to talk to him until he got home from the airport. The next morning she arrived at her office to find Caitlyn and Mitchie waiting on her. Rachael had a sympathetic look on her face and Ella just knew something terrible had happened.

"Oh God, what? What happened?"

"You had lunch _with Darren_," Caitlyn said in a scolding tone.

Ella paled. "What? I did not! And how…how did you hear about that?"

Mitchie held up a tabloid with a small picture of her in the top corner. "There are pictures, El."

Rachael rolled her eyes and growled. "The dude crashed our lunch. He put the moves on Ella when she was clearly brushing him off. He wouldn't take the hint. I was there."

Ella placed a hand on her forehead and her eyes watered. "Oh God, those pictures are out there already? I think I'm gonna be sick. I _tried_ to get him to leave me alone, I swear. But he just _wouldn't_. And I tried to call Nate yesterday, but he never answered. I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet! If he sees these…_oh my God_."

Mitchie put the magazine down and she and Caitlyn immediately shared guilty glances. "Ella, take a breath, sweetie. It'll be okay."

"No! Nate already has insecurities about Darren, and the last time we ran into him…"

"Okay," Caitlyn said quickly. "This can not be as bad as it seems. You'll just tell Nate what happened and—"

"Caitlyn," Ella said sternly. "You and Mitchie assumed the worst. Do you think Nate's going to be any different?"

"We didn't assume the _worst_," Caitlyn said softly. "We just thought you had a minor momentary lapse in judgment, that's all."

"I would _never_ cheat on Nate," Ella said in a huff. "And I would _hope_ you all know me well enough to know that."

"Ella," Mitchie said. "We're sorry. We went about this all wrong. But now we get it, okay? Now we're here to help."

Caitlyn's phone rang suddenly and she answered. "Jase? No, no, do _not_ let him see that magazine. I don't know. Shred it, sit on it, use white out on all the pictures of Ella. I don't care. Just do _not_ let him see it. Not until Ella can talk to him. Wait, hey, you guys have taken off? Well, tell Nate to call Ella. Yes, now."

Ella immediately pulled out her phone as Jason hung up with Caitlyn, but after about fifteen minutes Caitlyn's phone rang again.

"Well?" Caitlyn asked eagerly. Her face fell and she winced. "Oh God, tell Shane I'm going to personally kick his ass. I don't care if he didn't see the article, at first. Just make that jackass call Ella so she can tell him what happened. That article is terrible."

Ella's eyes widened. "There's an article too? And Nate saw it? Caitlyn, hand me your phone."

"What?" Caitlyn asked.

"Hand me your phone."

Caitlyn slowly handed Ella her phone.

"Jase?" Ella said into the phone. "Have you read the article? Good. Don't. I'm sure it's all lies. I'm going to tell you exactly what happened, and I'm hoping you'll believe me." Ella paused and then smiled slightly. "Thanks, Jase. Look, Darren showed up while I was having lunch with my assistant and he wouldn't leave me alone. I told him several times to back off and he wouldn't listen. Obviously this is all being spun to make me look like a cheating bitch—" She smiled again. "I'm glad you disagree. Can you just tell Nate that, please? I know he probably doesn't want to talk to me right now, but I'm hoping he'll still trust my word over some trash article. And ask him to call me when he's had time to think? Thank you, Jason. You're amazing. I'm handing the phone back to Caitlyn now."

"Jase? You're the sweetest. Also, you're much smarter than Nate. Just my opinion. Call me when you land," Caitlyn told him with a small smile. "Love you."

Ella gulped and sighed. "Rach?"

"Reschedule your appointments?" Rachael asked knowingly. "On it."

"Good," Ella said gratefully. "I'm going home. If he doesn't call me then I'll at least be at the house when he gets in. See you guys, later."

"Bye, Ella," Mitchie said sadly. "Good luck."

* * *

The label sent some of Connect Three's security to Nate's front gate which turned out to be a great decision since there were photographers mobbing the place. They kept them away from Ella's car and the gate as she pulled into the driveway. She waved a thank you to them and then pulled into the garage and got out of the car. She let Maggie inside and then sat down on the couch. She took a deep breath and tried very hard not to cry.

She failed. She ended up curled up on one end of the couch, sobbing. This whole situation was a mess. She'd been there all day apparently because she finally heard the knob jiggle with the familiar sound of Nate's keys not far behind. She wiped her eyes desperately and looked up to find Nate staring at her. He did not look happy.

"What happened yesterday, Ella?" He asked in a strained voice.

"I went to lunch with Rachael, and—"

"And Darren just _happened_ to show up? During the only _two days_ that I was out of town this month?" Nate asked accusingly.

She shook her head. "Nate, it wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like? Tell me."

"That's what I was _trying_ to do, but you interrupted me," Ella snapped.

Nate huffed. "Fine, I'm sorry, continue."

She bit her lip and glanced down at the floor. "He, um, just happened to show up." She winced and shook her head. "I was just being polite at first, you know? There were cameras. I didn't want to be rude. But then…he started making me uncomfortable and I tried to tell him to leave me alone, but…he wouldn't."

"What about that picture of him kissing your cheek?" Nate asked.

"I was trying to leave. He did that when I walked by. I wasn't expecting it."

"It was _Darren_, though, Ella. _Darren_."

"I know that Nate. I am keenly aware of that."

"I'm not stupid. I can tell he still has very real feelings for you," Nate told her with a disgusted face.

"So, what follows is that I _must_ have feelings for him too. Is that what you're saying?" Ella asked with a glare.

"Come on, Ella. We both know he was the love of your life. I was there remember? I saw you with him."

"Oh my God," Ella said with a huff. "Haven't we been through this before? I told you, that is _not_ the case anymore. I understand that this is an issue for you, but…is it ever going to be put behind us? If not then we have a real problem here, Nathaniel."

He shook his head. "Ella, it's not that simple—"

"Nate, do you trust me?" Ella asked.

"Yes, I trust you, but—"

"No, buts. Do you trust me or not?"

He didn't answer and Ella felt tears welling up in her eyes again.

"You don't, do you?" Ella asked.

"Ella, it's not _you_ that I don't trust-"

She rolled her eyes and glared at him angrily. "Just don't. I do _not_ have feelings for Darren. I did once upon a time, but for _years_ now it's been you, Nate. Only you. _You_ are the love of my life. _You_ are the man I want to marry. _Not Darren_. How many times do I have to say it for you to get it? For you to _trust _me?"

"I do. I do trust you," Nate said hesitantly.

"No," Ella told him. "You don't. If you trusted me this ridiculous situation with Darren wouldn't even _matter_. But you seem to think that if Darren wants me then I _have_ to want him. I don't. If anything this lunch yesterday made me realize that I was _stupid_ and _naïve_ for ever being in love with Darren. He's a douche and jackass and I wish I'd never met him. Is that clear?"

"Ella—"

"Do you know how much trust I have in you?" Ella asked him. "You have all of these girls throwing themselves at you every day, but _I_ trust _you_. I'm going to give you some space. It's clear that you have things to think about," Ella said as she sighed and shook her head. She turned and headed for the door. "Call me when you're ready to talk, okay?"

"Wait, where are you going?" Nate asked worriedly.

Ella opened her mouth to tell him, but paused. "No, you know what? I'm not going to tell you. You'll figure it out. Just…call me, okay? I love you, Nate. But…I can't marry you if you don't trust me the way I trust you."

Nate growled and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You can't just _leave_. We—we haven't finished talking yet."

"Nate—"

"No, Ella. I—please don't leave. If you leave then this…then we…"

"Nate, I'm _just_ giving you time to think. That's all. We're not breaking up. I'm not giving you back the ring. All of that is up to you. _I'm_ just getting out of the house for a bit. That's _all_ I'm doing. I promise."

"But I don't _want_ to think!" He exclaimed in frustration. "I love you. I want to be with you. I _do_."

"Then you shouldn't need too much time to think about it, should you?" Ella asked with a kind smile. "You need to deal with your issues with Darren. I've dealt with mine. I'm completely over him. But you're not. Deal with your issues and then call me. That's the end of it. Hopefully, I will see you soon."

She turned and walked out the door before he could say another word. He collapsed onto his couch and listened as she opened the garage door and started her car. She was right. This situation was _ridiculous_. Darren was ridiculous. The fact that Nate had doubted Ella to begin with was _ridiculous_.

This entire situation was the definition of ridiculous. Ella had managed to make him feel silly and childish while _she_ sounded perfectly rational. It was possible that he was taking his resentment toward Darren out on Ella. It was _more_ than possible he was still jealous of the man. Darren had hurt Ella back then, and even knowing that Nate still resented him for making a move on Ella first.

Suddenly he was picturing Ella being harassed by Darren. He pictured the scene as she'd described it, and he felt anger. Genuine intense anger. His hands were fisted and for the first time in his life he _wanted_ to punch something. Someone, actually.

Darren hurt her back then, and apparently he was still hurting her now. But this time he wasn't the only one. Nate had certainly helped. He spotted a few soiled tissues on the coffee table and then rubbed his eyes and shook his head. Ella had been crying. She'd been here alone and crying. Probably since he refused to call her this morning. He'd made his fiancé cry. He was almost as much of a jackass as Darren.

He was being stupid. He loved Ella. He trusted her. He _knew_ Darren had missed his chance. The guy no longer stood a chance with Ella. Nate couldn't believe he'd let _Darren_ hurt his relationship with Ella to the point where she felt she had to _leave_ to let him think.

His stomach growled and he groaned. He did not feel like heating anything up. He needed to get out of the house anyway. He went upstairs to check on Maggie quickly before he left. She was sleeping on her bed. He smiled softly at the dog before leaving the room and the house. The photographers were still outside. And he was certain Ella leaving would be all over the internet by tomorrow morning. He stopped at the nearest Chinese restaurant and ordered food. As he stood at the counter and waited for his food he spotted a familiar face out of the corner of his eye.

"So," a voice said to his left. "I see your back in town. Ella said you would be back today."

Nate closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "You know, Darren, you really don't want to talk to me right now."

When Nate opened his eyes again he could have sworn Darren was smirking.

"Trouble in paradise, Nate?"

He was definitely smirking. _Asshole_. "What are you even doing in this neighborhood, anyway? I've never seen you here before."

He hesitated for a moment. "I heard this place has the best Chinese in Los Angeles."

"Really, because in my honest opinion it's pretty mediocre, and I'm a regular here," Nate told him with a glare. "Ella's a regular here too, actually. Were you, maybe, hoping to run into _my fiancé_?"

Darren chuckled. "Wait, let me get this straight. Are you accusing me of stalking her?"

"I just think it's awfully strange how you _happen_ to show up where ever she goes," Nate said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Then maybe I'll just _happen_ to see her outside of her office building tomorrow."

"_What_?" Nate asked in a sneer.

Darren said nothing. He merely smirked at Nate. Nate's hands fisted again. That urge to punch something was back except this time the target he'd imagined earlier was right in front of him.

Nate didn't even remember moving. But before he knew what was happening Darren was laying spread eagle on the floor in front of him. Nate winced and shook his hand. Darren's nose was harder than he'd anticipated.

"Mr. Gray?" the woman behind the register asked. "Would you like some ice?"

Nate chuckled at the woman's lack of concern for Darren as he lay unconscious on the floor. "Yes, I would love some. Thank you."

"I'll be right back with it, and your order is ready."


	17. Making Up

**A/N:** So, The Indie CR Awards are starting up for the summer! I encouraged you guys to go nominate, and apparently you did. Myself and, my good friend, Standard-Ang3l have both been nominated for a lot of stuff. Between the two of us we're the only ones in the Best Nate/Ella category. Well, thank you to anyone who nominated! And I wanted to let you guys know that the first round of voting is now open and will be until July 1st!

Here's the link to go vote (take out the parentheses, and it will work):

(ht)(tp)(:/)(/) (bit)(.) (ly) /mHcVmX

I'm also going to put the link in my profile. But, please, **go vote!**

Happy reading,

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Seventeen: Making Up

* * *

Lauren Do had no idea what to do when her daughter randomly showed up on her doorstep. But judging by Ella's tearstained cheeks and sniffling it was clear she was in need of some comfort. She quickly ushered Ella inside and sent her up to her old room the change out of her professional work attire. Lauren made some tea and as she approached Ella's childhood bedroom she found her spread across the foot of her bed with her face buried in her arms.

Ms. Do sighed sadly and set the tea down on Ella's night stand.

"Oh, Ellie, what happened?"

"N—Nate and I—I got into a…a fight," She responded through her sobs.

"About what, sweetie?" Lauren asked as she sat down by the spot where Ella rested her head. Lauren reached over and gently combed a hand through Ella's hair as a gesture of comfort.

"Darren. About Darren. God, mom, why did I _ever_ date him? How could I ever have possibly been in love with creepy jerk like Darren? I wish I'd never met him. If—If I hadn't then things would be so much simpler."

Lauren continued to run her hands through Ella's hair softly. "Is this about that article? And the pictures of you and Darren?"

"I swear I didn't plan on seeing Darren. He just happened to be there, and then once he saw me he wouldn't leave me alone. I asked him to. Really, I did, but he just kept hanging around and—why would he do that? He knew I was engaged. He _knew_ it."

"Oh, my precious girl, I think you know why," Lauren said softly. "Sweetie, he was setting you up. He knows the press is paying extra attention to you now, and he took advantage of that."

"But _why_?" Ella asked as she sniffled and rubbed her red eyes.

"Manipulative men do those types of things for two reasons: the first is that they want you and the second is that they don't want anyone else to have you. I have a feeling Darren was counting on upsetting Nate."

"Yeah, well, it worked. Nate was furious, and he—he doesn't trust me," Ella said as her bottom lip began to quiver.

"Oh, honey, I'm sure he trusts you."

"No, mother, he doesn't. I asked him point blank, and you should have seen his face," Ella said in a voice that was thick with heartbreak. "I—I told him he needed to think about things. I don't want him to think about things! I don't want to give him my ring back! Or—or cancel the wedding. Oh my God, mom, what if I have to—"

"Honey, it's not gonna happen," Lauren said immediately. "As much as I hate to admit it I've watched the two of you together and that young man loves you. Probably as much as anyone one person can love another."

"But what if love isn't enough? Oh God, the invitations have gone out and everything is paid for—"

"If worse comes to worse we will deal with it and life will go on, but trust me, Ellie, it's not going to come to that."

"I told him to call me, but what if…what if he never does?" Ella asked her mother in a desperate tone. "I acted like I was strong and like I could take it, but he—I love him _so much_, mommy. I don't _want_ to be without him. Ever."

"He'll come to his senses, you'll see," Lauren said as she leaned down and kissed Ella's temple. "In the mean time you feel free to cry. I think in a situation like this crying is perfectly acceptable."

Ella's phone suddenly rang and she stared at it worriedly. "I—I can't. If it's not him and I answer…"

Lauren smiled kindly at her daughter before picking up the phone off of the nightstand and answering. "Hello? Ella's phone? Oh, well, hello, Caitlyn. How are you? Oh? Wait, what happened? He didn't. Well, you know, that boy just _might_ be beginning to grow on me. How is he? No, not Darren. Oh? Darren didn't get in a single punch?" Lauren laughed merrily. "Knocked him out with one hit, huh? Well, good for him."

"What?" Ella asked in a whisper. "What happened?"

"Well, thank you for calling, Caitlyn. I will let her know," Lauren said with a smile as she hung up.

"What did she say?" Ella asked eagerly as she rubbed her eyes watery eyes.

Lauren laughed once again. "Your fiancé got into a fight. With Darren."

"What?" Ella asked worriedly. "Is Nate okay? How did it happen?"

"Darren appeared at the Chinese place in your neighborhood while Nate was there. Apparently Darren said a few things Nate didn't like and Nate punched him," Lauren told her.

"Oh my God," Ella said with a gulp. "Nate's never punched anyone in his _life_. Did Darren retaliate?"

"Didn't have a chance. Nate knocked him out with one punch."

Ella's lips curled up into a small smile. "Really?"

"Really," Lauren said with a chuckle.

"Well, that's something good at least," Ella said with a grin.

Lauren grabbed the cup of tea off the nightstand. "I'm going to go reheat your tea. I'll be right back."

Lauren squeezed Ella's shoulder as she left and headed downstairs. She put the mug in the microwave and set the timer and waited patiently beside the counter. The doorbell rang a couple of times and it was followed by loud consistent pounding knocks. Lauren knew immediately who it was. She shook her head and yanked open the front door. Nate gulped and stared at her with wide fearful eyes.

"Ms. Do, I know…you don't like me that much, but I…" He paused and took a deep breath. "Is Ella here? I need to talk to her. I've been calling everyone all night long trying to find her, and this is the only place left that she would go. _Please_, tell me she's here. Please."

Lauren hesitated for a moment as she looked over Nate's appearance. He looked frazzled. His curls stuck out in all directions and looked as if he'd tried to pull them out. His eyes looked slightly bloodshot and a little bit swollen. His clothes were rumpled as if he'd been sitting and driving for a while. He looked generally unkempt. She relaxed and smiled softly. "She's here."

"Can I…speak to her?" Nate asked hopefully.

Lauren nodded. "She's upstairs. Second door on the right is hers." Lauren quickly ran over to the microwave and retrieved Ella's mug of tea. "Here." She said as she handed it to him. "Take that to her."

He gulped nervously and nodded. "Right. Thank you."

"No problem, Nathaniel."

He stopped and caught her eye. "No, really. Thank you for letting me in."

"No thank you necessary," Lauren told him before she lightly shoved him toward the stairs. "Now go. There's a nearly heartbroken girl up there waiting for you."

Without any further hesitation he quickly climbed the stairs.

* * *

Nate hated the sight that greeted him once he reached Ella's open bedroom door. She was lying across the foot of the bed with her head buried in her arms. He could hear her crying and he could see the fingers of her right hand absently turning her two engagement rings on her left ring finger.

He could feel his heart breaking a little as he watched.

"Just put the tea on the night stand, please? I'm not very thirsty," Ella said thickly. She paused for a second before speaking up again. "H—he hasn't called. What if he…what if he never calls?"

He didn't know what to say. He didn't know if he should announce that he was there or if he should just wait for her to notice. He had no idea what to do or what would be appropriate for the situation.

"M-mom?" She asked quietly. "Are you still there?"

He shifted nervously as she lifted her head. She gulped and her eyes widened.

"Oh my God," She whispered as her hands flew to her face. She covered her entire face and turned away from him slightly. "You're here."

"I'm here," Nate repeated softly.

"How did you—I mean…you shouldn't—I'm not presentable at the moment," Ella said as she sat up and continued to cover her face. "I've been…I've been crying. My make up is all over the place and my eyes are puffy and swollen. You should've called."

"You told me to come find you," Nate said with a slight lop sided grin.

"Yes, well, I didn't want to look like _this_ when you did," Ella said as she sniffled before taking a deep breath.

Nate patted the spot next to her on the bed. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"N—no."

"Why did you pretend to be so confident and strong earlier?" Nate asked. "You were upset but you…you seemed to be okay."

"Nate…"

"Why did you pretend, Ella?" Nate asked again.

"It wouldn't have changed anything. In fact, it probably would have made things more difficult for both of us. If I would have started crying then you would have gotten frustrated and before we knew it we would have been in a shouting match. I didn't want to escalate anything," Ella said softly. "I just wanted all of this to be over quickly."

"You wouldn't have escalated anything," Nate told her.

"You were already doubting me, Nate. You know as well as I do that my breaking down in front of you only would have made things worse," Ella said with a quivering breath.

Nate's jaw clenched and his hands tightened into fists. "I was an idiot, Ells. I turned all the anger I felt toward Darren on you. I shouldn't have done that. _You_ were a victim. He harassed you, and instead of protecting you I accused you. That was wrong of me. I should know you better than that. I _do_ know you better than that. It's just…I don't like Darren. The way he looks at you…it makes _me_ scared for _you_. He gets under my skin even though I know I shouldn't let him."

"I don't want him anywhere near me, Nate. I want him to leave me alone," Ella admitted. "He scares me as much as he scares you."

Nate reached over and hesitantly peeled her hands away from her face. He held her hands and met her gaze. Puffy eyes and all. "There are ways to keep him away, Ella. We can do that. I'll do anything I can if it will help you feel safe. _I love you_. I want you to be happy, and I should have actually _listened_ to what you were trying to tell me. I can't change that, but I'm telling you…I'm listening now. I hear you. So, _tell me_."

Her eyes shut tight and her face contorted as she let out a sob. "He wouldn't leave me alone, Nate. He knew about you, he knew I _wanted_ him to leave, and yet…he—he…" She paused and her shoulders shook lightly. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as she continued. "He knew there were cameras. He had to know. They weren't even trying to hide. He knew I couldn't react too strongly. He t—took advantage of the situation."

Nate kissed her temple slowly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry he did that, and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry I added to this situation instead of trying to make things easier on you. And I'm hoping you'll forgive me. I need you, Ella. And I want nothing more than to marry you and start a life together. I'm hoping that you still want that too."

Ella turned and suddenly launched herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and they collapsed back onto her bed. "Yes! Oh God, yes. That's all I've ever wanted Nate. I will _always_ want that. I will _always_ want _you_."

She placed several quick kisses on his lips before his hand found the back of her neck and held her lips steady against his own. He applied more pressure and forced her lips apart with his tongue as he rolled slightly and leaned over her. His hands playfully tickled her sides and she pulled away a bit. She giggled against his lips, and he smiled brightly at the sound. She flashed him a genuine smile and he couldn't help but return it. It almost mended the cracks that her sadness had put in his heart.

"Come home," Nate pleaded simply. "Don't stay here tonight."

She nodded and kissed him once again. "Gladly."

"1, 2, 3…" Nate whispered as she pulled back.

"4, 3, 2…" Ella said with a bright smile. "I love you."

"Love you too."

A throat cleared from the door, and they both turned to find Lauren Do grinning at them.

"I take it the wedding won't have to be cancelled?" She asked with a knowing smirk.


	18. The Parties

**Chapter Eighteen: The Parties**

* * *

"So, what are the girls doing tonight?" Shane asked Mitchie as they continued to unpack their things. Mitchie had just officially moved in to Shane's house.

"Lingerie party. Ella requested it much to Caitlyn's chagrin," Mitchie said with a smirk. "She wanted strippers."

"So did I," Shane said with a grin. Mitchie smacked him across the back of the head playfully. "Hey! Ow! Geez, no worries. Jason vetoed that. Apparently, strippers intimidate him."

"I could have told you that," Mitchie said with a laugh. "He's _Jason_, and has half the decision making power about Nate's bachelor party."

"Nate's bachelor party," Shane said slowly. "My brothers are going to be married before me. Both of them."

"So?" Mitchie asked as she sat down beside of him and put an arm around his shoulders. "Does that bother you?"

"Not really," Shane said with a furrowed brow. "It's just…weird. We've been dating longer than both Jason and Cait and Nate and Ella."

Mitchie nodded. "Yes, we have."

"So, why aren't we like them?" Shane asked.

Mitchie chuckled lightly. "Because, Shane, they've had their shit together for a while now. And we—"

"Just got our shit together?" Shane asked knowingly.

Mitchie nodded and smiled softly. "Yes, exactly." They were both silent for a moment until Mitchie stood up and turned toward Shane. "So, what do you want for lunch? Are sandwiches okay with you?"

"Sandwiches as opposed to you actually trying to cook? Of course, that's okay," Shane said with a smirk.

Mitchie rolled her eyes at him and walked toward the kitchen. "You think you're so funny, don't you?"

"Oh, I _know_ I'm funny," Shane said with a chuckle. He followed her into the kitchen and leaned against the counter as she pulled out everything necessary for sandwiches. He smiled softly as he watched her.

She lived here now. With him. Not that she hadn't been _practically_ living with him for years now, but _this_ was official. Years, they'd been together for years. Once again the fact that they'd been together for so long struck him. Nearly _ten years_. They'd already been together longer than _most_ people stay _married_. What had he been so worried about? If he and Mitchie were going to break up they'd have done it by now, wouldn't they?

She shut the door and then pulled down a couple of plates. She handed one to him and then began fixing her sandwich. She looked up expectantly. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Marry Me?" Shane asked softly and suddenly.

She froze and gulped nervously. "What?"

"Marry Me," Shane repeated in a more confidant tone. "You've been right all along, Mitch. We've been together for nearly ten years. If things were going to go bad then they'd have gone bad already. I love you, you love me, we've been together forever. So, we should buy some rings and make it official, don't you think?"

"Is—Is this because Nate's getting married before you because if—"

"Mitch, I'm not like you. I'm not a woman—" He cut himself off when Mitchie punched his arm. "A very _strong_ woman, ow."

"Seriously, Shane, just a couple of weeks ago you said you needed _time_, and you made it sound like you need _a lot_ of time. Now suddenly you're ready to get married?" Mitchie asked.

"I wasn't sure how much time I was going to need," Shane said with a sigh.

"But…are you sure you want this?" Mitchie asked.

"You think that because I don't have a ring or a practiced flowery speech that this is an impulsive decision, don't you? Do I need to do this again after I buy a ring?" Shane asked worriedly.

Mitchie smiled softly at him. "Shane, I just want to make sure that this is really what you want, that's all. Can I…can I think about it?"

"Of course," Shane said as he leaned forward and kissed her temple. "Whatever you want, Mitch. I'm gonna go take a shower and get ready for the party. I'll eat later."

Mitchie nodded as Shane turned and walked away. "Shane?"

He turned back and smiled at her. "Yeah?"

"Love you."

"Love you too," He said with a wink before he headed upstairs.

* * *

Mitchie walked in the door of the small chic lingerie boutique and immediately felt a little out of place. She was not a sexy lingerie kind of girl, but Ella was and this was what she wanted. Apparently, one of Ella's old class mates owned the shop and was giving all of them an insane discount on any purchases they might make.

Ella saw her and waved her over to the rest of the group. Everyone sat down in folding chairs as Caitlyn stood and spoke up.

"Okay, guys, we are here for one reason and one reason only," Caitlyn said with an evil smirk. "To help Ella pick out her lingerie for her honeymoon."

A collective giggle filled the room along with a few insinuating "ooooooooh"s, and Mitchie shook her head and grinned. Ella was blushing crimson from ear to ear. She cleared her throat before she spoke.

"And, don't forget, you can't tell Nate about anything we pick out. I want him to be surprised," Ella said with a shy grin.

Mitchie nodded and then faced the rest of the group. "Also, there are refreshments in the back for all of us."

"Champagne?" Tess asked eagerly.

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "Yes, Tyler, on your request we _did_ manage to purchase champagne."

"Good," Tess said with a smirk.

"Okay, so everyone fan out and find something for Ella to try on," Caitlyn said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"But," Ella added. "Don't be afraid to buy yourselves a few things. I'm a firm believer that every girl should have at least one sexy negligee. No matter how single she may or may not be."

Mitchie immediately pulled Ella and Caitlyn aside once the group dispersed. "I need to talk to you both."

They exchanged worried glances.

"What? What happened?" Ella asked. "Did you and Shane get into it again?"

"N-no, but…"

"But what?" Caitlyn asked. "Spit it out, girly."

"He proposed."

Ella's eyes widened and a hand went to her mouth to suppress a squeal. She slowly pulled it away and smiled brightly. "He what?"

"He proposed," Mitchie repeated.

"But I thought…didn't he say he needed time like _two_ weeks ago?" Caitlyn asked.

"Yes, that's why I told him I needed to think about it. I need to figure out if he meant it or if…if its peer pressure or something, you know?"

"Oh, this is so exciting," Ella said as she lowered her voice to keep the others from hearing. "We could be doing _this _for you sometime soon."

Caitlyn nodded. "And then _we_ get to be here for _you_ when the wedding plans finally cause your breakdown."

Ella chuckled. "Or when you guys have that big fight that nearly wrecks everything."

"Glad, you and Nate got past that by the way," Caitlyn said with a grin.

Ella nodded. "Me too. But in a way it was good. Darren is _definitely_ behind us now. For sure."

"Is the wedding stuff really that bad?" Mitchie asked worriedly.

"Um," Ella said hesitantly. "Not to scare you or anything, but…_yes_. God, _yes_."

"Having Marlene helped, of course, but I do remember it being extremely stressful," Caitlyn agreed. "Jason and I almost eloped actually."

Mitchie's eyes widened, "Really?"

Caitlyn nodded. "Just before you guys arrived at the house I sort of vented to Jase, and he basically suggested we run away and forget all the formal wedding stuff."

"Why didn't you?" Ella asked.

"At that point all of our non-refundable deposits were paid and the wedding was only three days away. All of our guests had plane tickets already. I just…would've felt bad, you know? So, we stuck it out. Don't get me wrong the wedding was beautiful. It was everything I dreamed it would be, but…I do wonder every now and then what would've happened if I'd agreed with Jason. Eloping just seems…romantic, I think." Caitlyn told them with a soft smile.

"No way, I could elope. After my mother paid for half of my wedding dress she would _kill_ me if there was no wedding. Nate and I would lose _all_ of the ground we've gained with her," Ella said with a shake of her head. "You two are lucky your parents actually _like_ the guys."

"You know, really, you could do both," Caitlyn said thoughtfully. "Elope and then come home and plan a small but very nice reception. That could work. Hypothetically, of course."

"And it wouldn't be anywhere _near_ as stressful," Ella agreed. "If only someone had told me that like two and a half months ago."

"Ella!"

Ella turned to find Peggy holding up something white, sheer, and lacy. "La Perla! You have to try this on!"

Ella chuckled and nodded. "I can't _not_ try on La Perla. Be there in a second." She turned back to Caitlyn and Mitchie and winked. "And so it begins. Be right back. Don't talk about anything important while I'm gone."

Mitchie spent the rest of the party in thought. She'd managed to pick out one or two things for Ella to try on, and she'd even been forced to try on a few things herself. She'd actually bought one thing, and after she bought it she realized something.

She'd made her decision without realizing it. She'd bought a white, lacy, and extremely _bridal_ looking teddy.

Once the party was over she immediately headed home. She'd arrived several hours before Shane and had managed to do a bit of research in the meantime. Italy. They could elope to Italy. There were pretty little chapels all over the countryside. And they had a full week and a half until Nate and Ella's wedding. That was plenty of time. She heard the lock on the door behind her and quickly sent her lap top into sleep mode. She heard Shane's keys as he entered the front door and then turned to find him scowling.

"Just so you know, bachelor parties without strippers…are _lame_," Shane told her as he rolled his eyes. "We played poker. _Poker_. I'm _terrible_ at poker."

She chuckled at him. "How much did you lose?"

"The entire contents of my wallet. Nate's poker face is _way_ too good. Why is it the guy can bluff, but not _lie_? How is that possible?" Shane asked as he slowly approached her.

"Because Ella doesn't tolerate lying on any level and she's trained it out of him?" Mitchie said with a chuckle.

"Right, that would make sense," Shane said with a nod. "So, how was your party?"

"It was interesting," Mitchie smirked. "I _may_ have bought something."

He quirked an eyebrow and smirked at her. "Really? Can I see it?"

She smiled teasingly at him. "On one condition."

"What's that?"

"We have to get married first."

His smirk faltered. "Are you telling me I have to wait like three months to see this piece of lingerie?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then what exactly _are _you telling me?" Shane asked in confusion.

"I'd like to elope," Mitchie said honestly. "If that's okay with you."

"Elope?" Shane asked in amusement. "Seriously? You don't want some fancy wedding with three hundred some guests that neither of us actually _know_?"

"No, I want it to be you and me. Plain and simple," Mitchie said with a soft smile and a contented sigh. "What do you think?"

"I think…that sounds _perfect_," Shane said with a smile and a nod. "So, where were you thinking? Vegas?"

Her nose scrunched up and she shook her head. "God, no. That's great for some people, but I'd rather not have neon lights near my wedding. And there's too many ways the press could interfere in Vegas."

"Okay, then…where?"

She bit her bottom lip and smiled excitedly at him. "Italy?"

"Italy?" He asked in a warm tone.

She nodded. "There are these beautiful little churches in the countryside that handle last minute ceremonies all the time. We just have to get the license before we get into the actual countryside. We both already have passports, and we can buy the tickets now and be on our way before midnight. That will give us plenty of time together before we have to come back for Nate and Ella's wedding."

Shane chuckled. "Somebody's been doing their research, I think."

"So, what do you say?" Mitchie asked nervously. "Good idea or bad idea?"

He approached her and pulled her close. He placed a hand under her chin and lowered his lips to hers for a soft and slow kiss. "_Great_ idea. But you forgot to mention rings. We would need those."

"Well, we wouldn't _need_ them. Just the license."

Shane chuckled. "Okay, fine. We don't _need_ them, but _I_ want _you_ to have a ring, is that okay with you?"

She nodded. "That's definitely okay with me. I'm fairly certain we can take care of that in Italy as well."

"Good," Shane said with a nod. "Then we better start packing if we want to be out of here by midnight. I'm going to take a guess that you've already purchased the tickets?"

She laughed softly and nodded. "You know me too well."

"I could never know you _too_ well, Mitch. It's been ten years and I'm pretty sure I _still_ have a lot to learn," Shane said with a soft smile. "But _this_ is definitely a good start."

* * *

_To: Caitlyn (LadyCaity-at-viberecords-dot-com), Ella (omygoduguys-at-justmystyle-dot-com), Jason (CurlyBird-at-viberecords-dot-com), Nate (NJGray-at-viberecords-dot-com), Connie Torres (Connie-at-conniescatering-dot-com), Steve Torres (Steve-at-torreshardware-dot-com), Vicky and Jeff Gray (Graybutnotold-at-quickmail-dot-com), Brown (RockerBrown-at-CampRock-dot-com)_

_Cc: Mitchie (KitchenGirl-at-viberecords-dot-com)  
_

_From: Shane __(__TamborineKing-at-viberecords-dot-com_)

_Subj: Surprise!_

_Dear family,_

_As I send this Mitchie and I are waiting to board a flight to Italy. Yes, I said Italy. Today, I proposed to Mitchie and we decided to elope. We've discussed it and we're hoping to have a small reception sometime after Nate and Ella's wedding. This is in no way meant to be an insult to any of you. We just didn't want to wait three months or have a big wedding and have to deal with all the stress that comes with it. We hope all of you will be as happy about this as we are. Can't wait to celebrate with you when we get back! See you soon!_

_Love you all!_

_Shane (Mr. Gray) and Mitchie (the soon to be Mrs. Mitchie Torres-Gray)_

_PS- Nate and Ella, we promise we will be back in plenty of time for the wedding. Do not worry. We will be there! (Sorry, dude, it would have been wrong for the three of us to get married out of order. Jk, man, jk.)_

_PPS- The next time you hear from us…we'll be married! How crazy is that?_


	19. Wedding Weekend, Part One

**A/N:** The finalists for the Indie CR Awards were announced today! Thank you to everyone who voted! I'm a finalist in several categories! The categories I'm a finalist in are:

**Best Nate/Ella**

**Best Jason/Ella**

**Best Nate**

**Best Ella**

**Best Jason**

**Best Romance**

**Best Drama**

**Best Friendship**

**Best Adventure**

**Best Full Story**

**Best One Shot**

Count On Me is nominated in a few of those categories! So please go vote! Here's the link:

**ow(dot)ly/5wIre**

You'll also be able to find it on my profile! You guys are awesome, btw! I love all of your reviews for the last chapter! I'm glad you like the Smitchie elopement! Haha.

Also, this chapter pulls in a one shot I wrote called "Lost" about 13 year old Nate and Ella. If you haven't read it then you might want to. Just so you'll understand all the references, but it might not be necessary.

Happy Reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter Nineteen: Wedding Weekend, Pt. 1

* * *

"Has _anyone_ heard from Shane or Mitchie?" Ella asked Nate with a huff.

"No," Nate told her. "But they'll be here, Ells."

"Nate, tomorrow is the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. _Tomorrow_. And my bridesmaid and your groomsman is missing," Ella said as she tried not to show how stressed she was.

Nate chuckled and sat down in the big arm chair next to wear Ella was pacing. "Ella, she is not your _only_ bridesmaid and he is not my _only_ groomsman. Even if they don't show up, we'll be okay. But I know that they'll be here. They wouldn't miss this."

"Yeah, well, we're heading to camp tonight to make sure all the cabins are ready, and we _better_ hear from them by tomorrow morning. I love them both, but I _will_ beat them if they make my wedding weekend any more stressful than it's already going to be. Clear?" Ella said through a clenched jaw. She leaned against the arm chair Nate was sitting in with a huff.

He smirked and wrapped an arm around her waist. He pulled Ella into the chair and onto his lap. She squealed softly as she fell into the chair and then looked at him expectantly. He placed a gentle kiss on the curve of her neck, and then looked into her eyes. "Ella, breathe, sweetheart. We're in the home stretch. We're going to spend the weekend at Camp celebrating _us_ with our families. We're going to _enjoy_ it. And then in a couple of days, we'll be on our way out of here and on our honeymoon. Just focus on those things."

She took several deep breaths and then wrapped her arms around his neck. "See? This is why I'm marrying you. You know _just_ what to say."

He chuckled. "After so many years with you I've managed to learn a few things."

"So, you realize we won't be sleeping in the same cabin tonight, right?" Ella asked with a grin.

He glared at her playfully. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when we arrive at Camp tonight my mother is going to be there too…so…"

He groaned. "But that's not supposed to happen until _tomorrow_ night."

"Sorry, my mother still thinks I have an apartment and sleep _there_. She's not going to let us stay in the same cabin tonight," Ella told him apologetically. "It's just a couple of nights, Nate. We can deal for two nights."

"Fine," Nate said in a pout. "But I hope you've packed some of that new lingerie you got at the party for the honeymoon."

Ella laughed and kissed his lips quickly. "Don't worry. I've packed _plenty_ of that. Have _you_ packed?"

"I've been packed for weeks, Ells," Nate told her. "Did you pack everything on that list I gave you?"

She smiled. "Yes, but I wish you would just _tell_ me where we're going."

"No, you're the one that _said_ I could surprise you," Nate told her with a wink and a grin. "So I am. What time do you want to leave today?"

"As soon as I get off work. I need to get everything settled with my assistant and my stand-in for the next two weeks."

"What time should your last appointment finish up? I'll pack up the car and pick you up at work," Nate offered.

"I should be done by four," Ella told him. "I left everything I need by the bedroom door. I have to pick up my shoes and the bridesmaids dresses at work, so I'll have those when you pick me up."

"What about your dress?" Nate asked slyly.

Ella grinned at him. "My mother has that dress. Don't you worry about it. I've got that covered. No chance you'll be seeing it before the ceremony."

"You don't actually believe in all those wedding 'bad luck' superstitions do you?" Nate asked.

Ella gasped and glared at him. "Of course I do! And even if I didn't I'd still stick to them! Better safe than sorry, Nathaniel."

"Ella, I think we've had all the bad luck we can stand so far. There can't be much more drama in our—"

Ella covered his mouth with her hand. "Don't say it. Don't you _dare_ say it. You'll jinx us."

Nate rolled his eyes and pulled Ella's hand away from his mouth. "I love you, but you're a bit crazy."

"Well, one of us has to be. If I weren't you'd bring down all sorts of bad luck on us," Ella said with a grin as she looked down at her watch. "Damn, I gotta go. I'm gonna be late. Drive me to work?"

He nodded and grabbed her hand. She grabbed her purse as he led her out the door. Nate drove her to work and then came back to the house to pack up the car and to pack up Maggie. Maggie would be staying with them at Camp and then going home with his parents for the duration of their honeymoon. By the time four o'clock rolled around he had packed up the car and made the necessary arrangements for taking care of the house while they were away.

He got in the car and made it to Ella's office just in time. She called him as he pulled up to the front door of her studio. She came down carrying a shoe box and a very thick garment bag. She opened the back door and hung the bag up on one of the handles and then placed the shoebox on the floorboard. She hoped in the front and place a quick kiss on Nate's lips.

"Hello," She said brightly.

"Hi," He said with a smile. "Ready to go?"

"Sweetie, I've _been _ready," Ella said with a laugh. "Let's get this show on the road."

* * *

They arrived at Camp to find Brown, Marlene, Lauren, Vicki, and Jeff all chatting in the staff parking lot. They stopped talking when Ella and Nate pulled up and turned to smile at their car.

"There they are!" Vicky said happily. "The bride and groom."

Ella's eyes widened before she smiled and turned to Nate. "That's us. _We're_ the bride and groom. God, that sounds odd."

He chuckled and got out of the car. He waved to the group as he walked around the car and opened the door for Ella. She stepped out and walked hand in hand with Nate over to the circle of adults.

"Well, hello, you two," Jeff Gray said happily. "We've got the cabins all ready to go for the guests that are coming tomorrow."

Nate's eyes widened. "Then why are we here? I thought we were supposed to do that?"

"We thought we'd give you two a break," Lauren said with a rare gentle smile. "That way you can have some alone time before all the insanity starts, _but_ alone time that will end in separate cabins, right?"

Ella rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "Yes, mother."

"Okay," Marlene said. "Brown is going to help me set up the mess hall for the rehearsal dinner. Apparently, Connie Torres is very specific about the way her kitchen is organized so he'll have to help me with _that_ because Connie will be here bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Meanwhile," Brown said with a wink. "You two get to go off and have some fun without anyone else tagging along."

"Fine by me," Nate said eagerly as he pulled Ella away from the adults.

"Don't worry," Mr. Gray said with a chuckle. "We'll unpack your car for you."

"Thank you!" Ella called as they disappeared from her line of sight. She turned and gave Nate a confused glance. "Where are you taking me?"

He winked at her and grinned. "Where do you think I'm taking you?"

"Well, you're pulling me toward the woods," Ella said observantly. "So…somewhere in the woods?"

"Do you remember the first time we met? You were lost?" Nate asked as they walked deeper into the trees.

Ella smiled faintly. "Yes, it was my first summer and I decided to go on a walk to get away from Tess."

"And you came across me," Nate said as he finally reached a small rock ledge that dropped down onto the sandy shore of the man made lake. "Sitting here with my guitar."

Ella chuckled and nodded. "You were rude and wanted nothing to do with me. I remember."

Nate sat down and then pulled Ella down to sit next to him. "I was a very gloomy thirteen year old, okay? So sue me."

"Why _did_ you end up helping me? I've always wondered. You _clearly_ didn't want me around at first. You wouldn't even tell me your name until I guilted you into," Ella said as she looped her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I couldn't just let you wander helplessly. I was raised better than that," Nate said with a grin. "Besides, I was curious. I genuinely wanted to know how you could let Tess boss you around. You seemed stronger than that. At least, you did while you were talking to me."

"I was," Ella admitted with a sad smile. "I just wanted a friend so badly that I'd deal with just about anything to have one."

"Well," Nate said as he softly kissed her temple. "You have plenty of them now. Do you remember what happened when we got back to camp?"

Ella blushed and nodded. "Of course."

"You were my first kiss, you know," Nate stated with a smirk. "Why _did_ you kiss me?"

She laughed softly and grinned at him. "I was curious too. Plus, even through all the hostility, you were the closest thing to a true friend I'd ever had. Even if we didn't keep in touch after you left."

"You know, when we came back to visit Shane two summer's later…I wanted to talk to you. I was just afraid you'd forgotten me or that you'd changed," Nate admitted.

Ella nodded. "I was afraid of the same things especially because you were so…so famous. I felt like you had no reason to remember me."

Nate shook his head. "We wasted a lot of time, Ells."

"I know," Ella said with a small smile and a sigh. "We've had since we were thirteen and yet we some how put it off until twenty-three. That's ten years that we weren't together and could have been."

"The good news is that two days from now we'll have the rest of our lives to make up for it," Nate said as he slowly pulled her onto his lap.

"Why wait until two days from now?" Ella suggested with a flirtatious grin as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "What's wrong with now?"

She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips, but when she tried to pull away Nate held her tighter. He smirked against her lips before pulling back slightly to speak. "You can't start a kiss like that and then back out, Ms. Pador. You're not going anywhere."

She giggled and placed another short kiss on his lips. "Oh, no? And how do you plan on keeping me here?"

"I can think of at least one way," Nate said with a grin as he leaned forward and kissed her deeply. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip and she immediately parted her lips. Her hands slipped into his curls and she twisted her fingers in them. Nate's hands slipped underneath the back of her shirt. He lightly ran his hands over her back. He then rested his hands on her waist and ran his thumbs across her stomach. She pulled her lips away from his for a split second to suck in a breath.

"God, you're evil," Ella said with a gulp. He chuckled and traced kisses along her jaw and neck. His lips landed on her collar bone and he stopped there. He continued to kiss that spot. She nearly jumped off his lap when she felt his teeth graze her skin. "Oh no, Nate. No hickies. At least not where I can't cover it up. Please?"

"Not where you can't cover it up, huh?" He asked with a smirk and a quirked eyebrow. "So are you giving me permission to give you a hickey where you _can_ cover it up?"

"What is it with you and hickeys?" Ella asked with a laugh. "Is it your way of staking your claim or something? Because, honestly, you'd think getting married would accomplish that."

Nate smiled and rolled his eyes at her. "Don't act like you don't enjoy them too. I know you do."

Ella smiled sheepishly and shook her head at him. "You're insane."

"You're just as insane as me, _sweetie_. You're the one that agreed to marry me," Nate said with a smirk.


	20. Wedding Weekend, Part Two

**A/N:** Okay, so I keep telling you that I'm almost done with this story, lol, and I promise I am. I'm currently writing chapter 23 which is the _day_ of the wedding. So I'm getting closer. Haha. This story is much longer than I ever thought it would be, haha. Anyway, here's more of the wedding weekend! Enjoy!

Happy reading!

angellwings

**PS- Voting is still open for the IndieCRAwards. Visit my profile for the link to the voting form! :D**

* * *

Chapter Twenty: Wedding Weekend, Pt. 2

* * *

"Mitchie!" Ella yelled into her phone. "I understand that you and Shane are probably off doing unspeakable things to each other, but for the love of all that is holy…CALL ME BACK! My wedding is _tomorrow_ night. The families are arriving _now_, and the rehearsal is in t-minus five hours. And _no one_ has heard from _either_ of you since that last e-mail. Some news would be _nice_. Just an idea."

Caitlyn chuckled and shook her head as Ella hung up. "Ella, _chill_. They'll be here."

"Mitchie hasn't had her final fitting for her dress yet, Cait. What if they took it in too much? Or the hem is too short? She's not here for us to find out, is she?" Ella said with a huff.

Caitlyn sighed and shook her head. "No, she's not."

"Exactly," Ella said with a glare at no one in particular.

"Ella," Dana said with an amused smile. "Have you seen Nate today?"

Her brow furrowed and she scowled. "No, he's helping his parents with the rehearsal dinner arrangements, and then the tiny amount of time he was free he spent on the phone with the studio trying to put out a fire of some kind."

"A fire?" Peggy asked.

"Something to do with the master recordings?" Ella said as she shook her head. "I don't really know."

"Well, we've got five hours," Peggy said. "What would you like to do?"

"We've got three hours," Ella clarified. "I need two to get ready."

"Two hours?" Caitlyn asked. "To get ready for your wedding rehearsal? Why?"

"Because I bought a special dress for the occasion and I want to look stunning. Is that okay with all of you?" Ella snapped.

Peggy chuckled and nodded. "Oh, Ella, you really need some Nate time."

"I do not! I'm fine," Ella said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "You know, maybe its good the guys are going on tour so soon after the wedding. You're starting to turn _into_ Nate. Being all scowly and sour."

Ella fought back a grin at that. "Okay, maybe I do need some Nate time."

"Duh," Dana told her with a smirk. "You're just a little insane because there's slightly more than a day before you and Nate ride off into the sunset for your happily ever after."

Peggy grimaced at that. "Ew, Dana. Too cliché."

"What?" Dana asked. "I like clichés."

"Three hours, ladies," Caitlyn reminded them. "What are we going to do to fill the time?"

Ella grinned suddenly. "You think Brown still keeps water balloons in the supply closet?"

"He's Brown," Caitlyn said with a smirk. "Of _course_ he does."

"I need to have some fun," Ella said with a huff. "Is a water balloon fight good enough?"

Peggy chuckled. "Well, we _are_ at camp. It would seem wrong to leave that off the schedule."

"Alright," Ella said in an authoritative tone. "Caitlyn, Peggy: get the balloons. Dana, you'll come with me to secure the faucet behind the girls' bath house and keep the boys from discovering us."

The girls nodded along as Ella spoke.

Ella pulled her hair back into a pony tail and changed out of her printed blouse into an old worn out t-shirt before she turned and smirked at them. "Ready?"

"Oh I am always ready for a water balloon fight," Dana said eagerly as they all left their cabin.

Twenty minutes later, the girls were tiptoeing by the cabin the boys were staying in with buckets of water balloons at the ready. The guys were all inside. They looked very bored. Nate was still on the phone, and Ella rolled her eyes as she peeked through the open window. She held out her hand for a water balloon and Peggy quickly placed one in her hand. Ella smirked at Nate's back and tossed the balloon. She ducked as she heard it smack and pop and covered her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing loudly.

"What the hell?" Nate asked in outrage. "Who threw that?"

"Dude, why are you all wet?" Jason asked with a chuckle.

"You mean you didn't—I was hit with a _water balloon_, Jason. How did you miss that?"

"Chill out, man," Barron said with a light laugh. "Just because you haven't seen Ella all day doesn't mean you get to yell at us."

"I'm not yelling because I haven't seen Ella all day! I'm yelling because _someone_ just soaked me with a water balloon!"

Ella grabbed another balloon and launched it through the window at Nate. She heard another smack and a pop and then she heard the other guys laughing.

"That definitely came from the window," Andy said in an amused voice.

Ella motioned for them to slip away to the front porch, and they swiftly did so. Ella nodded to Caitlyn who cleared her throat before speaking.

"We've got you surrounded!" Caitlyn yelled. "Come out with your hands up! And we _might_ be merciful."

Jason scoffed loudly as he glanced out of the screen door. "Caitlyn Gellar-Gray has _never_ been merciful. Why should I think you'll start now?"

"You might as well come out and admit your defeat," Ella said with a grin. "It's not like you have anything to fight back with."

"A water balloon fight, Ells?" Nate asked with a chuckle. "Really?"

"Come on, Nate. Relax, relive old times," Ella told him with a wink. "You're already soaked you might as well come out and surrender."

"Oh no," Nate said with a wink and a smirk. "Surrender is not an option, babe."

"Oh really?" Ella asked. "And how do you plan on fighting us?"

"We attack the stash of weapons of course. Cut you off at your supply lines," Nate said as he slowly opened the screen door. Before the girls could grab more ammo the guys had charged through the door and were after them. Ella squealed as Nate found a balloon and smashed it against her back. Jason had thrown Caitlyn over his shoulder and was marching off toward the pier with her. Dana had hopped on Andy's back and was currently smashing balloons over his head while Barron and Peggy chased each other around a tree. Ella slipped out of Nate's grasp but he had gotten a hold of Caitlyn's abandoned bucket of balloons. He began pelting her with balloons as she ran toward the lake. She was laughing and squealing the whole time.

"Na-ate!" She yelled. "You're mean!"

He laughed and shook his head. "Don't you dare blame this on me! You started it!"

There was a scream in the distance and Nate and Ella turned just in time to see Jason drop Caitlyn into the lake. Ella laughed loudly.

"Oh, he is so going to get it when she gets out of there," Ella said with a smirk.

"You jerk! This water is freezing! What. The. Hell!"

"I didn't start this, Caity, but you can bet I'm going to finish it."

Nate's eyebrows rose and he grabbed Ella's hand to pull her away. "We should probably find cover. I think this war is about to go nuclear."

"Connie's kitchen," Ella said as she nodded toward the Mess Hall. "They would never take a war there. Connie would _kill_ them."

Nate grabbed Ella's hand and pulled her toward the Mess Hall's kitchen. The door opened and a startled Connie turned to face them.

"You two scared me to death. Where's the fire?" Connie asked. She paused as she noticed their soaked clothing. "Or the flood as the case may be."

Ella chuckled and rung out the bottom of her shirt. "Water balloon fight. Jason just dumped Cait into the lake."

"Ah," Connie said with a laugh. "So, you're taking cover?"

"Would _you_ want to be out in the open after that?" Nate asked her with a smirk.

"Definitely not," Connie said with a smile. "Well, while you're here. Can I get you kids something to eat or drink?"

"Are you sure we won't spoil our dinner or something?" Ella asked as she and Nate sat down on a couple of stools.

"No, in fact," Connie told them. "You can sample the menu I've got in mind for tomorrow."

Ella's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"But only a little of each. I've got a very good dinner planned for tonight," Connie told them.

"I just want you to know," Nate said with a grin. "That I fully support this plan."

Ella laughed and shook her head. "You would."

* * *

After getting a sample of each course (just enough to give them a taste, but not enough to come close to filling them up) Connie sent Nate and Ella on their way because there was now less than two hours until the rehearsal started. Nate walked her back to her cabin with her hand in his all the way.

"So, you were bored," Nate said with a chuckle. "And decided the most obvious cure for it would be a…water balloon fight?"

She used her free hand to smack his shoulder. "No, jerk. It was the best way to get _you_ off the damn phone. You promised me, and made _me_ promise, no work this weekend. Remember?"

He sighed and nodded. "I know, I'm sorry. Won't happen again."

"Good," Ella said as she squeezed his hand. "This is our weekend, and I'd like to keep it that way."

They reached the cabin the girls were staying in and stopped in front of the steps. "Being here feels strange."

"What do you mean?" Ella asked.

"The last time we were here for more than just a couple of hours we weren't together, and with all of us staying on gender divided cabins it sort of feels like we're still teenagers. You know?" Nate said observantly.

Ella smiled at him gently and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I do know. Sometimes I wonder what would've happened had we been like Shane and Mitchie or Jason and Cait; If we'd gotten together when we were younger. I think about whether or not anything would be different, and you know what I decided?"

"What?" He asked.

She winked and shrugged. "That it doesn't matter. All that matters is that we're here _together_ now."

"You always do that," Nate said with a smile.

"What's that?" She asked.

"You always say just the right thing to make my gloomy thoughts go away," Nate told her as pressed a short kiss to her lips. "We should probably start getting ready for tonight."

Ella sighed happily and nodded. "Probably. I'm going to be pushing it to be ready on time as it is."

Nate laughed. "Isn't that always the case?"

She smacked his shoulder playfully. "Shut up."

"Well, at least we know they can't start without us," Nate said with a wink. "I'll see you in about an hour and a half, Ells."

"See you," She said as she kissed his cheek quickly and then went inside. Nate watched her walk away with a smile before he slowly turned and walked back toward his own cabin.

* * *

Nate and the rest of the guys were waiting by the pier with Marlene. The girls were late, but that was expected (at least of Ella.) Finally they saw them walking toward them. Ella waved with a smile and called out to Nate.

"I told you I would probably be late!"

He laughed and nodded. "Yes you did."

She looked gorgeous. She was wearing a cream colored dress that was embellished with sequins and beads. It stopped just above her knees and showed off plenty of leg. Ella's dresses always showed leg. Not that he was complaining. The girls reached them and Ella leaned upward to give Nate a quick kiss but was stopped by Marlene.

"Uh-huh," She said as she waved a finger at them. "You've reached the cut off time for that. No more kissing until _after_ the wedding."

Ella's mouth dropped opened and she stared at Marlene in shock. "None whatsoever? Not even like on the cheek or—"

"None, at all," Marlene told her. Marlene grabbed Nate's arm and pulled him down the narrow pier to the spot where their makeshift altar would be.

"Well, that sucks," Ella said with a huff.

Caitlyn chuckled at her. "Actually the whole point is for there _not_ to be any sucking, _Ella_."

Ella's cheeks flushed bright red and she glared at Caitlyn. "Yes, thank you. I realize that."

"Caity, leave the woman alone," Jason said with a chuckle. "You didn't let them tease _you_, remember? You threatened bodily harm."

"Please, like Ella could take me," Caitlyn said with a scoff. "I'm not scared of her."

"Excuse me," Ella said with a playful glare. "I'm your stylist remember? I'm in charge of what you wear and how you look in public. You might want to be careful about the words you choose to say to me, Missy."

"Missy?" Caitlyn asked as she folded her arms over her chest. "Jase, did she just call me missy?"

"She's the bride," Dana said with a light laugh. "I'd say she's allowed a 'Missy' or two."

Caitlyn reluctantly nodded. "Fine, but you just wait until you get back from your honeymoon. It will _so_ be on!"

"Alright, people!" Marlene called from where she stood with Brown and Nate. "Places, please!"

Tyler suddenly appeared and took Ella's hand. She smiled when she saw him and hugged him tight. "When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago," Tyler said with a chuckle. "You were getting ready. So, we're practicing our little jaunt down the aisle, are we?"

"Are we not supposed to?" Ella asked in concern.

"Some people think it's bad luck for the bride to walk down the aisle before the wedding day," Tyler said with a shrug. "I guess Marlene's not one of those people."

Ella smacked Tyler's shoulder. "Now, why did you have to go and tell me that! And 'jaunt'? Really? Who says jaunt? You may be older than me but you are a _real_ geek."

Tyler laughed at her. "Why, thank you, baby sister. I really appreciate that. Are you, perhaps, a little stressed?"

"Two members of my wedding party aren't here and neither of them have had final fittings for what they're supposed to be wearing tomorrow. So, yeah, I'm a little stressed," Ella said as Peggy and Andy began to make their way down the pier.

"And then after Peggy and Andy would be Mitchie and Shane," Marlene said with a sigh. "Who are apparently in Italy somewhere. They're cutting it a little close, aren't they, Ella?"

Ella nodded and huffed before calling back to Marlene. "Yes, but I keep being assured that they'll be here. So…now I'm assuring you. They'll be here. At some point."

"They better be," Marlene said sternly. "Okay, Caitlyn and Jason, you're next. And _don't_ push him in the lake. I know what you're thinking, Caitlyn Gellar-Gray."

"What?" Caitlyn asked innocently. "I was thinking no such thing."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Don't lie, Caity. We're outside. You could be struck by lightning."

Caitlyn glared at him. "Don't push it, Birdman. If you're not careful I actually _will_ push you in the lake. Marlene's wrath be damned."

"You do that and I'll just pull you in with me," Jason said with a smirk.

"Okay, and Dana once they reach the halfway point go ahead and start," Marlene said as Jason and Caitlyn reached the middle of the pier. Dana followed them and stopped at her spot across from Brown.

"And then the string quartet will start Ella's processional. I've heard it, it's very pretty," Marlene said with a smile. "And then Tyler will walk her down our pier-aisle. Be sure not to lead her to fast there, Ty. This is her moment. Let her enjoy it."

"Oh! What's the processional?" Dana asked eagerly.

Ella shook her head. "Not telling. You'll have to wait until tomorrow. Well, if Mitchie ever gets here that is. She's supposed to sing it. If not you'll have to play 'Name That Tune'."

Nate laughed. "That could be fun. You know, you could, at least, tell me."

"No!" Ella said urgently. "You're the one that I want to be surprised, dummy."

"You're just calling people all kinds of names today," Caitlyn said with a grin. "Missy, geek, dummy. It's like living through elementary school all over again."

Ella stuck her tongue out at Caitlyn as she and Tyler reached the rest of the party.

"And that's when the minister we'll say 'who gives this woman…yada yada yada.' And Tyler you will say?" Marlene asked.

"My mother and I," Tyler said with a nod. "Right?"

"Right," Marlene told him happily. "Then you will turn and go sit with your mother. Then we go on with the ceremony, the exchanging of vows, the rings, the kiss—don't you dare kiss her right now, Nate Gray—the announcement of the married couple and then it's time for the recessional. Which will be a song of Nate's choosing that is, again, played by the string quartet—"

"What?" Ella asked him in surprise.

"And _that_ is my little secret," Nate said with a wink.

"And who do you have singing that? Shane?" Ella asked.

Nate laughed. "No, you think I'd trust him with that secret? You'd crack him in five seconds flat. _Luke_ agreed to sing."

"Luke?" Ella asked skeptically. She didn't believe him for a minute.

He sighed. "Okay, yes, Shane."

"So, if they don't get here…"

"We'll both be playing 'Name that Tune'," Nate said with a chuckle.

"Okay, then we'll all be on our way to the reception," Marlene said as they all reached the end of the aisle. "Right now, though, I think we have a rehearsal dinner to get to. Off we go, kiddos."

Brown took Marlene's hand and they moved to the front of the group as they all headed for the Mess Hall. Ella kept her arm looped through Nate's.

"So…"

Nate quirked a brow at her. "Yes?"

"After tonight I won't be allowed to see you until the wedding at _8_ o'clock in the _evening_," Ella said with a soft whine.

Nate groaned. "You just had to bring that up, didn't you?"

"Well, you _know_ they're not going to let us anywhere near each other tonight."

"Yes, but I wasn't really _thinking_ about it until you brought it up," Nate told her with a playful glare. "It's almost like you brought it up on purpose. To torture me."

Ella chuckled. "Well, if I'm thinking about it then you should be thinking about it. I'm _not_ going to be able to sleep tonight. I mean, the only reason we got away with it last night is because no one was here to supervise us, really. And now…"

"The whole gang is here, I know. We won't be able to get passed them."

"Maybe we should've taken a page from Mitchie and Shane's book and eloped. Then we could do whatever we wanted. Tradition is thrown out the window," Ella said in a huff. "It's not fair. They cheated."

Nate laughed. "I'm sure they don't see it that way."

"Well, of course _they_ don't. They're the cheaters."

"Hey!" A voice said from behind them in an offended tone. "We didn't cheat! We just took a shortcut. That's not cheating."

Ella and Nate whipped around to face the voice.

"Guys!" Ella yelled excitedly as she rushed Mitchie with a hug. "You're _finally_ here!"

"No way, we'd miss this," Shane said as he too gave Ella a hug. "It's a wedding."

"Yes, because you didn't just elope to _avoid_ a wedding of your own or anything," Nate said sarcastically as he hugged both Mitchie and Shane as well.

"This is different," Mitchie said with a smirk. "It's your wedding, not ours."

"Plus, we're both singing so we figured it would be a good idea to actually show up," Shane said with a chuckle.

"Yes, thank you," Ella said with a relieved sigh. "I appreciate that."


	21. Weddng Weekend, Part Three

**A/N: "Count on Me" won Best Nate/Ella at the IndieCRawards! **Woooooooo! Everyone who voted is AWESOME! You all get virtual cookies! *throws confetti* I took home SEVEN categories for FOUR different stories! The others that won were: "Hopeless, the Sad Fate of Nate Black: A Dumb Diary", "Light Up the Sky", and "Took Me By Surprise"! I'M SO EXCITED AND GRATEFUL AND JUST BLOWN AWAY! I won: Best Nate/Ella ("Count on Me"), Best Jason/Ella ("Took Me by Surprise"), Best Adventure ("Hopeless"), Best Full Story ("Hopeless"), Best Drama ("Took Me by Surprise"), Best Ella ("Took Me by Surprise"), and Best Friendship ("Light Up the Sky"). WOOOO!

**Thank you so much! I have the best readers (and friends) EVER!**

Happy Reading!

angellwings**  
**

* * *

Chapter 21: Wedding Weekend, Pt. 3

* * *

Nate and Ella smirked as they entered the Mess Hall.

"So," Nate announced. "We have some new arrivals."

Ella nodded. "Guess who finally decided to show up?"

Mitchie and Shane entered the room and were greeted with cheers and applause.

"Yeah, yeah," Shane said with a laugh. "But this isn't about us right now. We're here for Nate and Ella. Let's keep it that way."

Nate and Ella were led to their small table for two in the middle of the mess hall and Shane and Mitchie went to sit with the rest of the bridal party. Mr. and Mrs. Gray got up and hugged Shane and Mitchie quickly and congratulated them before going to stand by Nate and Ella's table for their speech.

"Now that we're all here," Mr. Gray said with a chuckle. "I suppose this party can finally begin, huh?"

Vicky nodded and smiled warmly at Ella. She put a hand underneath Ella's chin and tipped her face upward gently. "You know, Ella may not remember this, but I saw her on her very first day of camp. I remember because she stood out from all the other girls her age. All of those thirteen year olds were trying too hard. Either they were dressed up to the nines for the intention of impressing or they were dressed way down in an attempt to be intimidating. But Ella was neither of those. She looked natural and…a bit dainty. I didn't see her again until after that whole Camp Wars mess, but I remembered _exactly_ who she was. I've known for a long time that she is one special young woman, and I believe she proved that to all of us on numerous occasions. I am as proud of her as I am any one of my own flesh and blood."

Mr. Gray nodded his agreement. "Our boys have been friends with Ella for many years now, and we've watched her develop into the remarkable person she is now. We've also watched her relationship with Nate as it grew and progressed. The first time Nate mentioned her to me I knew. He may not have known, but I did. I saw it in his eyes. It was a long time after that before anything happened, but I could tell he was waiting. He was waiting for her. Well, son, now you've got her, but keep in mind…she's got you too."

Ella chuckled and poked Nate's arm. "That's right, and don't you forget it, Mister."

"How can I?" Nate asked her. "You remind me all the time."

Mr. Gray chuckled and continued. "I know that the type of marriage the two of you will have will be challenging and it won't be like most marriages, but Vicky and I have faith that you will make it. In my experience, the most challenging things are usually the most worthwhile, and marriage is definitely one of the most challenging things."

Vicky kissed Ella's cheek and then Nate's as well. "We wish the both of you, and Maggie too of course, all the love and happiness in the world." She lifted her glass and glanced around the room. "To Nate and Ella."

The group of family and friends repeated her and clinked their glasses together before taking a sip of their champagne.

"Now, please, enjoy and don't be afraid to ask for seconds. We've heard that Connie made _plenty_," Vicky said with a bright smile.

Ella immediately stood up and hugged Vicky tightly. Her eyes were watering slightly as she hugged the older woman, and Vicky chuckled knowingly and rubbed Ella's back. "We're happy to have you as part of the family, dear."

"Thank you," Ella said softly as she pulled back to look at her future mother-in-law. "For everything. You made all of this so easy for me."

"My pleasure, love," Vicky said as her Australian accent slipped through. She gave Ella one last quick hug before turning her over to Mr. Gray.

"Just think," Mr. Gray said with a warm smile. "After tomorrow I'll have _three_ daughters."

Ella chuckled and hugged him. "You know, you're the closest thing to a _reliable_ father that I have." She kissed Mr. Gray's cheek and then pulled back to wink at him. "After tomorrow, I think I'm going to have the best father-in-law a girl could ever ask for."

"Yeah?" Mr. Gray asked with a good natured grin. "Then you'll be better off than me. My father-in-law is a holy terror."

Mrs. Gray smacked his shoulder. "You hush. My father is a saint."

"Yeah, to you," Mr. Gray said as he caught Vicky's hand and held it in his. "He despises me."

"Sounds like how Ella's dad feels about me," Nate said with a smirk. "Like father like son, right dad?"

He chuckled. "Right, son."

"Speaking of your father, Ella," Mrs. Gray said as she cleared her throat and motioned to the door of the Mess Hall.

"What?" Ella asked as she turned slowly. Her eyes widened and she gasped as she spotted her father. He had his gray hair pulled back into a low pony tail and the shadows of scruff covered his cheeks, but he wore very nice black slacks and a pressed dress shirt. "Oh my God."

Nate glared at him before squeezing Ella's hand. "Everything okay?"

"I—I'm going to talk to him."

"I'm coming with you," Nate said sternly.

"Are you sure you—"

"Yes, Ells, I'm coming. You're not facing him alone again," Nate said with a determined nod.

He held out his hand to her and she took it and laced her fingers through his. They slowly walked toward the doorway. Van Pador stood up straighter as they approached.

"Ellie," He said softly.

She gulped nervously. "Dad."

"Can we talk _alone_?"

Ella sighed and shook her head. "No. Whatever you need to say you can say in front of Nate."

Van quirked a brow at Nate. "So, you're still set on marrying _him_, huh?"

Nate rolled his eyes. "You're at our rehearsal dinner, aren't you?"

"Unfortunately," Van muttered with a huff.

"Dad, if you're not here to be supportive than _please_ leave," Ella said with a shake of her head. "It's taken me a long time to get used to the idea of you not being here, and you'll just ruin everything if you stay with the intention of being hateful."

"Ella Billie Pador, I—"

"Van," A new voice said in a scolding tone. "Leave the girl alone."

All three heads whipped around to face Lauren Do.

Van glared at her. "You mean you're supporting this? _You_?"

"_I've _had time to see them together. _You_ haven't. They're not us. They will never be us. Now, for once, do something for _Ella's sake_, and _leave_," Lauren told him with a glare of her own.

"I have every right to be here. I'm her father."

"No, sir," Nate said politely. "You see, this is an invitation only event, and _we_ didn't send you an invitation."

"Just leave, dad, please. I'm happy. Call me when you feel like you can accept that _and Nate_," Ella said with a huff. "I have plenty of people here that _do_. I certainly don't need _you_."

"You heard _my fiance's_ request, sir," Nate said sternly. "Or do I need security to escort you off the property?"

Van muttered darkly to himself as Ella reached for Nate's hand and they turned to walk away.

"Come on, Nate," Ella said with a sigh. "We have guests."

"I'll make sure he leaves, Ellie," Lauren told her kindly. "Go have fun."

"But, Ella Belle—"

"No, dad," Ella said with a glare. "We're done. I love you, but this discussion is _over_."

Once they left Van Pador, Tyler rushed to Ella's side.

"I just noticed he was here. Are you okay?" He asked.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm fine. He was never going to be a part of this wedding and he still isn't. Nothing has changed."

"No, you're wrong," Nate told her as he leaned down and kissed her temple. "_You_ stood up to _him_. That's what's changed." He whispered in her ear before he pulled away, "Never been prouder, Ella. 1, 2, 3…"

She smiled softly at him and whispered back. "4,3,2."

"Your sister was amazing, Tyler," Nate said with a big smile. "She stood her ground."

"Yeah?" Tyler asked with a grin. "I'm not surprised."

"Did Connie bring out the food yet?" Ella asked eagerly. "I'm starving."

"She just served the first course," Tyler said with a chuckle. "Everyone else is eating already."

"I guess we should take the hint then?" Nate said with a grin before he led Ella back to their table.

* * *

The dinner was over and all the family had left. The only people left in the room were the bride, the groom, and the wedding party.

"So," Mitchie said as she cleared her throat. "Where do Shane and I sleep?"

"Um, well," Caitlyn said with a grin. "_You_ sleep with us in the Vibe cabin and _he_ sleeps with the guys in the Groove cabin."

"What?" Shane asked. "Boy, girl cabins?"

"Well, you didn't expect us to let Nate and Ella sleep in the same cabin the night before their wedding, did you?" Andy asked with a smirk.

"Well, no. Not Nate and Ella, but—"

"Shane," Ella said with a grin. "You and Mitchie cheated us out of teasing you before _your_ wedding. Jason and Caitlyn got it. Me and Nate are going through it right now, but the two of you just flat out avoided it. That's not fair. So, boy-girl cabins it is. Just to even out the torture."

"That's not fair," Shane whined.

"Well," Mitchie said with a chuckle. "Actually, it is. They're right. I mean I was the one who forced Caitlyn to switch rooms in Hawaii. It's only fair."

"Fair?" Shane said in outrage. "It's not fair! It's stupid!"

Mitchie rolled her eyes. "Well, we don't exactly have a choice."

"Just like Ella and myself, brother," Nate said with a smirk.

"_Fine_," Shane said with a huff.

"Well, kids. It's way past midnight and we have a long day tomorrow," Jason said as he stood from the table and pulled out Caitlyn's chair for her. "Time for bed."

"Yes, _dad_," Mitchie said with a smirk. "We'll be sure to head to bed."

Nate stood from the table and grabbed Ella's hand. "I'll walk you to your cabin."

Ella giggled and smiled at him. "You're right, this does feel like high school."

He grinned and shook his head at her. "Don't remind me."

"Oh come on," Ella said as she stood up. "I think it's fun." She turned toward the group. "G'night, guys!"

"G'night, Ella, Nate," Dana said pleasantly as they walked away.

Nate waved as he led Ella out the door and in the direction of the cabin the girls were sharing. He reached out and laced his fingers with hers as they walked.

"So, tomorrow's the day," Nate said with a smile.

"Finally," Ella said with a chuckle. "I thought it was never going to get here."

He released her hand and wrapped an arm around Ella's waist. She wrapped one of her arms around his back and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"So," Ella asked casually. "Where are we going for our honeymoon?"

He chuckled at her. "Oh no, not telling. You'll find out soon enough."

Ella pouted. "But Na-_ate_!"

"No, It's a surprise, Ells, and it's gonna stay that way."

"Ugh, you're no fun," Ella pouted.

He rolled his eyes at her and smiled. "Yes, it's no fun to surprise you with a honeymoon. None at all."

Ella laughed lightly. "That's not what I meant and you know it. Smarty pants."

"I won't tell you where we're going. That's final," Nate said with a smirk. "So, let's just move on."

"_Fine_," Ella said with a sigh. "But after tomorrow I expect to win more arguments than I normally do."

"Why's that?" Nate asked with an amused grin.

"Because I'll be the wife. And the wife always wins…or so I'm told."

"Who told you that? Caitlyn?" Nate asked with a laugh.

"…yeah, why?"

"Because it might not be the wife that always wins," Nate told her with a chuckle. "It might just be Caitlyn."

Ella laughed. "True. _Very_ true."

They stopped in front of the steps outside of the girls' cabin, but before they went in Nate pulled Ella around the side of the cabin where the porch light didn't quite reach.

"Just a bit more alone time before you go in there," Nate said softly as he gently pressed her up against the side of the cabin.

Ella smirked at him. "You're being awfully demanding. You could _ask_."

"I thought you liked it when I was demanding?" Nate asked with half of a smile.

"Oh, I do," Ella said. "But I also like teasing you."

"Teasing me is a bit dangerous, don't you think?" Nate asked with a grin.

"Dangerous, you? You're kidding, right?" Ella asked with a chuckle.

"I could be dangerous if I wanted to be."

"Oh, Nate," Ella said with a light laugh. "You're quite possibly the safest, _steadiest_ guy tha—"

Her sentence was cut off by Nate's lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pressed her further against the side of the cabin. He deepened the kiss and Ella sighed happily as she parted her lips. One of Nate's hands held her elbow while his thumb gently rubbed across her skin. His other hand caressed the length of her upper arm.

A throat cleared from the corner of the porch and Nate and Ella jumped away from each other. Caitlyn smirked at them from her spot behind the railing on their porch. "Didn't Marlene say no more kissing until the wedding? At least I recall that being her rule with Jason and myself."

Ella glared at her. "Gee, thank you for the reminder, Caitlyn."

"Happy to help, Ella. I expect to see you inside soon. _Good night_, Nate," Caitlyn said with a smirk. "See you tomorrow."

"You too, Cait," Nate said with a huff.

Caitlyn grinned at them and quickly went back inside.

Ella rolled her eyes and then turned to Nate with a smile. "Won't be too much longer, Nate. Less than twenty-four hours now."

He grinned at her and nodded. "This is your last night as _Ms._ Ella Pador. Tomorrow you'll be Mrs. Ella Pador-Gray."

She shook her head. "No, I won't."

"You won't?" Nate asked.

"No, I'll be Mrs. Ella Gray. No hyphen," Ella told him brightly.

He smiled brightly. "No hyphen?"

"I'm more of a Gray than a Pador anyway, don't you think?" Ella asked with a wink.

"Couldn't agree more," Nate said as he kissed her quickly one last time. "Good night, _Ms. Pador_."

"Good night, Mr. Gray," Ella said as she slowly walked away from him. She turned and gave him a small wave before she entered the cabin and closed the door behind her.


	22. Wedding Weekend, Part Four

**A/N: **Sorry this took so long, guys! I got a job so I've been working strange hours. Anyway, I hope you all haven't forgotten about this story! I've noticed a dip in the number of reviews per chapter lately. We're getting close to the end! I promise! There's 2-3 more chapters left!

Happy Reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter 22: Wedding Weekend, Pt. 4

* * *

Ella groaned as she felt her small bed shaking. She could faintly hear yelling around her.

"Wake up! Ella-bell, you're getting married today! Get up!"

She whined. "Shut up. Please shut up."

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bac-ey! If we don't get to the mess hall now we're not going to be able to eat, and I'm hungry! So, wake up, bride woman!"

She growled at them. "I _just_ got to sleep! Do you know how hard it is to sleep without having Nate here to snuggle into?"

"Yes, we do actually. We all slept without our significant others too last night."

"I don't know who's said what so far this morning, but I hate you all," Ella said with a huff as she kicked back her sleeping bag. She continued to mumble as she rummaged through her bag and found a suitable outfit for the day. "I'm going to have bags under my eyes _in my wedding photos_. I mean my wedding's not until like 8:30 _tonight_. Why do we have to get up_ now_?"

"Because Andy says the guys are getting breakfast in half an hour and _you_ can't see Nate. So we need to go eat _now_."

Ella glanced over her shoulder at the other girls for the first time. She blinked a few times and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Do you really think I'm going to be able to eat? And good morning, sorry I was rude before."

"Well, sure," Caitlyn said with a smirk. "Why wouldn't you be able to eat?"

"I'm nervous! I'm getting _married_ today!"

Mitchie chuckled. "Yes, Ella. We know. It's why we're all here."

"I feel like I'm going to be sick and I haven't even eaten anything yet," Ella said with a sigh. "I'm seriously afraid of how my stomach will react."

Ella headed into the bathroom and closed the door behind her

"You're nauseous?" Peggy asked through the door suspiciously.

"And she's irritable," Dana added in her own suspicious tone.

"Um, El?" Caitlyn started hesitantly.

"Yes?" Ella asked from the other side of the door.

"Are you sure you're not…"

"Not what?"

"Pregnant?"

There was a loud crash from inside the bathroom and a moment of silence before Ella answered them. "_Hell_ no! There's no way!" She paused thoughtfully. "I mean, obviously there's a _way_, but _no!_ I'm not pregnant! I'm just _nervous_."

"You sure?" Mitchie asked.

"I'm _not_ pregnant. I'm allowed to have a nervous stomach on my wedding day! God, you guys are paranoid," Ella said with a huff.

"Okay, okay," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "We just had to ask."

"The last thing Nate and I need today is a pregnancy rumor, got it?" Ella said sternly as she opened the door.

"Got it." The girls said simultaneously.

"I mean, I'm _not_ pregnant. I'm not. I'm on the pill," Ella muttered to herself as she repacked her bag.

"Sometimes pregnancy happens anyway," Mitchie said reluctantly.

"Oh my God," Ella said with a sigh. "Chill, ladies. Can we wait until I have more than one nauseous morning before we go on a mad dash for a pregnancy test?"

There was silence between all of them as they exchanged concerned looks.

"Oh no, no. You guys want me to take a pregnancy test, don't you?"

"Well, don't you want to know for sure?" Dana asked.

"I _do_ know for sure. I know for sure that I'm not pregnant and I know for sure that you're all insane," Ella said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm not taking a pregnancy test."

Caitlyn grabbed her keys out of her purse and walked out the door. "I'll go pick one up for you."

"What?" Ella asked as Caitlyn left. "I said I _wasn't_ taking one! As in _no_!"

"No, it's fine!" Caitlyn said. "I can pick up some breakfast on the way back since obviously we're going to miss Connie's breakfast."

"Okay, you know what? I need to talk to someone sane," Ella said with a chuckle. "I'll be back."

Ella headed out the door but Dana stopped her. "Where are you going?"

"To talk to Marlene, is that okay?" Ella said with a grin. When Dana didn't seem convinced Ella placed her hand over her heart. "I swear to you I'm not going to go talk to Nate. Cross my heart and hope to die. Please?"

Dana sighed. "Okay, go."

"Thank you, and _please_ don't tell anyone Caitlyn's gone off to buy a pregnancy test?" Ella requested. "You're all crazy, by the way."

Ella quickly found the cabin that Marlene was assigned and knocked on the door. Marlene opened the door and smiled brightly.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise. How's the bride this morning?"

"Stressed. Beyond stressed and my bridesmaids aren't helping."

Marlene chuckled. "Uh oh, what happened?"

"I have a nervous stomach and their minds all jumped to _pregnancy_," Ella said as she rolled her eyes. "I'm glad they care, but _come on_! I'm just nervous not pregnant."

Marlene laughed lightly and pulled Ella inside. "This is perfectly normal. I can't tell you how many of my brides have bridesmaids with active imaginations. I'm actually surprised this didn't happen to _Caitlyn_ with the way she and Jason go at it."

Ella smiled slowly and held back her laughter.

"So you woke up feeling nauseous and stressed?" Marlene asked. "And you snapped at them?"

"Yes."

"And then Caitlyn left to get a pregnancy test?"

"Yes."

Marlene laughed. "Oh, you poor girl."

"They're insisting that I take one. They won't listen to me."

Marlene smirked. "Well, just humor them. The sooner you get it over with then the sooner they'll stop being delusional. They just care about you, that's all."

"I know, believe me I know. They remind me frequently," Ella said with a chuckle.

There was another knock at her door and Marlene stood up to answer it. "Oh no, you can't come in here."

"Why not?" A voice asked.

"Because Ella is here."

"Well, I—that's who I need to talk to!"

"It's the day of the wedding. You _can't_ see her."

"Is that Nate?" Ella asked curiously.

"But you don't understand…Andy was just on the phone with Dana and he said…he said—"

Yes, that was definitely Nate and Dana had apparently talked to Andy.

Marlene laughed loudly. "Let me guess, he said Ella was pregnant?"

Ella groaned and stood up to join Marlene by the door. She hid behind Marlene and spoke up loudly. "Ignore them, Nate."

"Ella?" Nate asked. "So, it's not true?"

"No! Our friends are overacting," Ella said tiredly. "And I _told_ Dana _not_ to say anything. I should have known."

Nate huffed. "I'm going to _kill_ Andy. I was panicking."

Ella chuckled. "I feel a little sick to my stomach and to the girls that apparently means I'm pregnant."

She could hear the smirk in his voice as he spoke again. "Caitlyn left to get a pregnancy test, didn't she?"

"Do I really have to answer that?"

"No," Nate answered. "But you're okay?"

"She's perfectly fine," Marlene said with a shake of her head. "And drama free."

Ella grinned. "Yes, Nate, I'm great. Stressed and nervous, but otherwise great."

"Okay, by the way, this conversation feels ridiculous. I can hear you, but the only person I can see is Marlene."

"_I'm_ the one crouched down behind her," Ella said with a smile. "I'm aware."

"I should go," Nate said. "Someone's probably looking for me. They wouldn't let me out of the cabin so I had to sneak out."

"You snuck out to check on me?" Ella asked .

"Of course I did, Ells. It's _you_."

Ella bit her bottom lip and smiled softly. "I didn't sleep well last night."

Nate chuckled. "Me neither. Not the same without you there." He paused and then continued. "Do we really have to go the whole day without seeing each other? Our actual wedding is still _eleven hours_ away."

Ella groaned. "Don't remind me."

"Aw," Marlene gushed. "You two are adorable."

"And Marlene just ruined the moment," Nate said with a sigh.

Ella laughed. "Good job, Marlene."

"Hey, you're lucky I'm letting the two of you talk right now. I shouldn't be, but I am because I'm nice."

Nate's phone rang and he growled. "I have to go, Ells. Love you."

Ella smiled and sighed happily. "Love you too, Nathaniel."

"I'll see you in eleven hours, I guess," Nate said.

"Bye, Nate," Ella said softly.

"He's gone," Marlene said as she shut the door. "Boy, does that man love you. You should have seen his face."

Ella's phone vibrated in her pocket and she reluctantly read the text message that was waiting on her.

"_Got the test! And donuts!"_

"Caitlyn's back," Ella said.

"That was fast," Marlene said observantly. "A little too fast. You don't think she had a pregnancy test stashed in her car, do you?"

"_What?_" Ella asked with a loud laugh.

"I'm just saying…if the girl is not pregnant within the year I will be very surprised," Marlene said with a smirk. "And I'll lose a lot of money to Brown."

"You are too much, Marlene," Ella said in amusement. She sighed and groaned. "Now, I'm off. Time to go pee on a stick."

"Ooh, sounds fun," Marlene said sarcastically. "It'll be a moment you'll remember forever."

Ella grinned and rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

"Feel better?" Marlene asked as Ella walked toward the door.

"Much, thank you, Marlene," Ella said with a smile. "This was helpful."

"It's what I'm here for," Marlene said with a grin. "To make things easier on you."

"You're very good at it," Ella said brightly. "I'll see you later."

"Definitely, have fun peeing on a stick," Marlene said as Ella walked out of her cabin.

Ella slowly made her way back to her cabin. When she arrived she found the girls waiting impatiently for her. She huffed. "Okay, give me the stick and let's get this over with."

Caitlyn handed her the box. "We'll be out here whenever you're ready."

After about five minutes Ella came out of the bathroom and held the test up for her bridesmaids to see.

"Look, look at this…_not pregnant_. See that? See the little symbol in the stick? That means I will not be having a baby anytime soon. Happy?" Ella asked with a knowing smirk.

"Yes," Peggy said with a relieved sigh. "We are."

"Good," Ella said before she turned to Caitlyn. "Now, Caitlyn, can you tell me _where_ you got this test so quickly? You were barely gone long enough to get down the _driveway_."

Caitlyn blushed and cleared her throat. "I may have had a box of three in the backseat of the car. Maybe."

Mitchie smirked at her. "Had a scare lately, Cait?"

"It's only a scare if you're unprepared for it," Caitlyn told Mitchie with a smile. "Jase and I aren't completely unprepared."

"Wait a minute," Dana said slowly. "Caitlyn, are you?"

"Well, I took two tests before we left the house," Caitlyn said with a smile. "Those tests said I was—"

"_Oh my God_," Ella said excitedly. "You're pregnant?"

"We don't know yet," Caitlyn reminded them. "Not officially. I've got a doctor's appointment next week though. So I'll find out then."

"But you took _two_ tests?" Peggy asked. "And _both_ of them were positive?"

Caitlyn nodded and smiled softly.

Ella gave Caitlyn a tight hug. "Oh, Brown is gonna owe Marlene _so much_ money."

"I'm sorry," Caitlyn said with a laugh. "Brown and Marlene had a bet about this?"

"Marlene made a bet with him that you would be pregnant with in the first year of your marriage," Ella said with a smirk. "And she totally called it."

"Guys," Caitlyn said as she glanced around the room. "Don't get carried away. I haven't heard anything from an actual _doctor_ yet."

"Oh come on, what are the odds of _two_ false positives?" Mitchie asked.

Caitlyn shrugged. "It could happen. Seriously, don't say anything or start celebrating. It took every bit of my charms to calm _Jason_ down. I have none left for all of you."

"You know," Ella said with a grin. "Those _charms_ might be what got you knocked up in the first place."

Caitlyn glared playfully at Ella and shoved her shoulder as the other girls laughed along with her.

"You're all terrible," Caitlyn said with a light laugh of her own.

* * *

"What are you going to do if Ella's pregnant?" Shane asked.

Nate rolled his eyes. "Ella is not pregnant. She felt a little nauseous this morning, that's all. No big deal."

"That's how it starts, dude," Jason said with a knowing grin.

Shane's brow furrowed. "And you know this how?"

"Ah, you know, no reason. It's just common knowledge," Jason said nervously.

Andy gave Jason a scrutinizing look. "Then why are you acting like we're grilling you about something?"

"I'm not," Jason said as his voice raised an octave. "I'm totally not." Jason cleared his throat and looked down at his watch. "Oh, will you look at that, I'm supposed to call Caitlyn's brother to check on Bandit about now."

Jason quickly stood up and walked outside.

Nate stared after him with a suspicious glare. "He's hiding something."

"He's married to Caitlyn now," Shane said with a smirk. "I'm under the assumption that he's _always_ hiding something. And I'm okay with that. I really _don't_ want to know what goes on behind _those_ closed doors."

"Yeah, I guess," Nate said. "Are you gonna get all weird and cryptic now that you're married to Mitchie?"

Shane chuckled. "Probably, but not when it really matters. Besides by the time this day is over you'll be joining the married people club yourself. You're going to get 'weird and cryptic' too, my brother."

* * *

"I told you I'm not hungry," Ella said with a sigh.

"You didn't eat breakfast and we let you get away with that," Caitlyn said sternly. "But we're not letting you skip lunch. Plus, I'm starving and it's possible I'm eating for two. So we're going to the kitchen and picking up the lunches Connie made for us, okay?"

"You just had to play the pregnancy card," Ella said with a huff. "Fine, let's go."

They all left the cabin but when they approached the kitchen they saw Shane standing outside of the back kitchen door. His eyes widened when he saw them. "You can't go in there."

"Nate's in there, isn't he?" Ella asked knowingly.

"Yes," Shane answered. "And you should probably go hide somewhere because they're all about to come out."

Ella groaned. "This is stupid. What's the worst thing that could happen if I see him? I don't even have to start getting ready for another _three_ hours."

"You're the one that wanted to get married at sunset, lady," Dana said with a smirk. "So, you'll have to deal with sunset being _late_ in the day."

The door started to open but Shane slammed it shut from the other side. "Stay put for a second guys. We have to hide Ella."

Ella heard Nate say something about how ridiculous this was and she chuckled. He was right, this _was_ ridiculous. The girls all circled around her and forced Ella to crouch down in the middle of them.

"Okay, this feels silly," Ella grumbled.

"I tried to talk them into buying blindfolds for the two of you, but no one listens to me. What do I know?" Caitlyn muttered bitterly. "If we had blindfolds this would be a _lot_ easier for all of us."

"Until the guys got an idea to run Nate into something on purpose just for the heck of it," Peggy said with a chuckle. "You know they would."

Ella listened as the guys walked by with Nate and rolled her eyes when the girls finally separated and let her stand up.

"Okay, time to eat," Caitlyn said eagerly. "I'm starved."

"I cannot wait until this wedding starts. This avoiding Nate thing is driving me crazy," Ella said with a huff.


	23. Wedding Weekend, Part Five

**A/N: **Going out of town this week so I'm posting this weeks chapter earlier. I'm currently working on the wedding reception right now. **So**, this story is ALMOST done. :D

I'll be back the 14th, see you all then!

Happy Reading!

angellwings

* * *

Chapter 23: Wedding Weekend, Pt. 5

* * *

The time finally came for the girls to get ready. Their hair, makeup, and nails were all done, and now it was time to get dressed. Ella pulled out a garment bag and unzipped it. She yelped as she peeked inside.

"Oh no. No, no, no, no! Alright, ladies, we have a problem," Ella said with a sigh.

"Uh oh," Mitchie said with a wince. "What happened?"

"I picked up the wrong dresses," Ella told them nervously. "I was styling another wedding and grabbed those bridesmaid's dresses instead of yours."

"What?" Caitlyn asked. "We don't have our beautiful shimmery gold dresses? I actually _liked_ those!"

"I'm sorry," Ella told them all. "I really am sorry."

"It's okay," Dana said as she took in a nervous breath. "At least we have dresses of _some_ kind, right? What do they look like?"

Ella unveiled the dresses slowly, and then hung them up along the top of the bedroom door.

Peggy gasped and grimaced. "Oh my God. You've got to be kidding."

They were short strapless school bus yellow dresses with a dark black sash across the middle.

"They're hideous," Caitlyn said flatly.

"We're gonna look like giant bumble bees!" Mitchie said as she stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"I think I'd rather walk down that aisle naked," Dana said with a wince.

Ella sighed. "I'm sorry, guys. I really _really_ am. Let me go get the bouquet's from the kitchen so we can see how they look with the dresses. Cross your fingers that they don't clash."

The girls all huffed as Ella left the cabin.

"This is a disaster," Caitlyn said. "I am _not _putting on that dress. I refuse."

"I don't think we have a choice," Peggy said as she shook her head. "They're all we've got."

"Oh, gross," Mitchie huffed. "Not even Dana's dresses were this bad."

"Hey!" Dana exclaimed. "My dresses were not _that_ bad!"

"They shared the same color scheme as _Barney_, Dane," Caitlyn said with a smirk.

"I thought they were pretty," Dana muttered.

Ella cleared her throat from the door and chuckled. "Hey, guys?"

They turned to look at her and then all glared playfully. She had their dresses in both hands. She smirked victoriously at them.

"Look what I found," Ella said with a wink.

"Oh you are _so_ evil," Peggy said with a shake of her head. "I hate you right now."

Caitlyn laughed and stood up to retrieve her dress from Ella. "I don't. I'm brimming with pride. I've taught you well."

"Sorry," Ella apologized with a light laugh. "I had to do it."

"You never lost our dresses, did you?" Dana asked.

"Of course not," Ella said with a chuckle. "I would never lose anything _that_ important. Nor would I let you all walk down the aisle in _those_. Okay, you guys can go ahead and get ready. I have to wait until my mom gets here with the photographers to put on my dress."

"Why?" Mitchie asked.

"Mom wants pictures of her helping me get ready. You know, buttoning up the dress, putting on the veil and the shoes…that sort of thing," Ella said with a smile. "And then Marlene has the outdoor stage decorated for pictures. They want to do pictures of the bridesmaids and groomsmen separately before the ceremony starts."

"How are they going to keep you and Nate from seeing each other?" Peggy asked.

"I'm pretty sure there's an intense system of guards and look outs," Ella said with a small laugh.

* * *

"Anybody know how to tie a bow tie?" Nate asked as he fiddled with his white bow tie in the mirror.

"Nope," Shane answered. "Mine's a clip on."

"You didn't get a clip on?" Jason asked.

Nate sighed. "No, I didn't. Ella told me not to. She can somehow tell a difference between an actual bow tie and a clip on, and she hates the way clip ons look."

"How can she tell a difference?" Brown asked with a furrowed brow.

Nate shrugged. "I have no idea, but she definitely can. It's pretty impressive."

Brown chuckled. "If anyone would have that talent it would be Ella."

"Ella usually ties my ties for me, and I just didn't think about the fact that she wouldn't be here to do it," Nate said with an impatient huff. "What time is it?"

"Seven," Andy answered as he glanced at his watch.

"Only seven?" Nate asked. "Why is it taking so long to get to the wedding? This day is dragging on forever."

"Marlene knows how to tie a bow tie," Brown said with a grin. "I'll go find her. Just a little bit longer, Nate. You can make it."

Brown walked out of the cabin and then Jason came over and nudged Nate. "Calm down, dude. Everything's going to be fine. You're almost there. We have to finish getting ready, and then there are the pictures. That's all that's left."

"I haven't seen Ella in about 19 hours, Jason," Nate told him. "My patience is wearing thin."

Shane chuckled. "Dude, if you're gonna be like this on tour then I'm staying _far_ away from you for as long as I can."

Nate rolled his eyes. "Shut up. You don't get to speak to me about the tour. _Your_ wife we'll be on tour _with_ us."

Shane smirked. "Jealous?"

"Shane," Jason said patiently. "Stop talking before you get punched."

* * *

They finished with the pictures of Ella getting dressed and putting on her veil and then the girls helped Ella pick up her skirt and they all headed to the outdoor stage. The photographer and Marlene arranged the girls around Ella. They also brought Peggy's niece onto the stage to be in the pictures in her flower girl dress. The dress that Ella had to design because they couldn't find one that lived up to the picture she'd created in her head. They took several group shots then Ella took an individual photo with each bridesmaid, and then she took several photos with Ally, Peggy's niece.

Both Mrs. Gray and Lauren had their pictures taken with Ella and then they took several photos of Ella alone. They finally finished with pictures a forty five minutes later. Marlene sent the girls back to their cabin to wait and then she left to talk to Nate and the groomsmen.

"Alright," Marlene said as she stepped into the guys' cabin. "Who needed me to tie a bow tie?"

Brown kissed her cheek and then pointed to Nate. "The groom. He's apparently lost without Ella."

"As he should be," Marlene said with a chuckle as she approached Nate. "Face me, please."

Nate turned toward her and Marlene got to work tying the tie. "Did you just come back from the girls' round of photos?"

"Yes, I did, and they're now safely back in their cabin," Marlene answered with a chuckle. "So don't think you're going to sneak a glance."

"Did you see her dress?" Nate asked curiously.

Marlene smirked at him as she finished up with his tie. "Yes, but I'm not going to describe it to you. That would ruin the surprise. There, all done. Okay, boys, picture time. Come on."

Marlene led them out to the stage where they took less pictures than the girls. They did group photos and individual shots with Nate and each groomsmen, and then shots with Nate and Tyler and then Nate and Mr. Gray. Their pictures took half the time of the girls' pictures.

Marlene followed the guys back to their cabin. "Okay, I'm on my way to the girls' cabin. You got any messages you want to pass along to Ella, Nate?"

"Yes!" Nate said as he suddenly remembered something. He hurriedly marched to his bag and pulled out a CD. "Anyone have a piece of paper?"

Jason pulled a piece of paper from his journal and handed it to Nate. Nate tore off the edges so it would fit inside the clear CD case and then jotted down a quick note before sticking it inside the case. He handed the CD to Marlene.

"You'll get that to her before the ceremony, right?" Nate asked worriedly.

Marlene rolled her eyes and chuckled. "No, I'm going to keep it and make her listen to it _after_ the reception." She paused and shook her head. "Of _course_ I will. That's why I asked. I'll be back."

Marlene turned on her heel and left. She walked across camp and knocked on the door of the girls' cabin before she entered. "Mail call for Ella Pador."

Ella looked up excitedly and gasped. "Oh! Is that from Nate?"

"Yes ma'am it is," Marlene said with a smile as she handed her the CD.

She read the cover and blushed.

"He wanted to make sure you got it before the ceremony so I'm thinking you should listen to it," Marlene said with a wink. "Do you have anything for him?"

"Of course," Ella said as she stood up and retrieved a small wrapped box from her bunk. There was a white envelope taped to the top of it. "That's for him, and before he opens it can you tell him it used to belong to my grandfather? I forgot to include that in the note."

"Anything you want, sweetie," Marlene said with a warm smile. "Now, can we listen to that CD? I'm extremely curious."

Ella laughed at Marlene and nodded. "Yes, we can. I think Caitlyn brought her laptop."

"Yes, I did," Caitlyn said as she brought Ella the computer. "I don't go anywhere without it."

Ella stuck the CD into the computer and smiled as it started to play. It was acoustic. Ella loved acoustic _anything_, especially when Nate was the one performing. It sounded like a lot of the demo recordings she'd heard of his. A rough cut that was done in one take. She closed her eyes as Nate's voice came over the laptop's speakers.

"_Take my hand tonight.  
We can run so far.  
We can change the world, do anything we want.  
We could stop for hours just staring at the stars.  
They shine down to show us,_

_You know when the sun forgets to shine,  
I'll be there to hold you through the night.  
We'll be running so fast we could fly tonight,  
And even when we're miles and miles apart,  
You're still holding all of my heart.  
I promise it will never be dark.  
I know we're inseparable."_

Ella smiled brightly and continued to blush as the song went on. She loved this recording. It was so private and intimate and clearly done just for her. She would definitely be listening to this a lot while he was away on tour. The other girls were squealing excitedly as they heard the rest of the lyrics. Ella was feeling a little bit of everything. She was overwhelmed by her feelings for Nate and the statement this song made about _his _feelings for her. The song ended and Ella sniffled as her eyes began to water. She blinked back tears and shook her head as a smile still spread across her face.

"The ceremony hasn't even started yet and I'm already tearing up," Ella said with a chuckle.

"These Gray boys might just be the sweetest boys I've ever coordinated for," Marlene said with a watery smile of her own. "Of course, when they have an uncle like Brown I shouldn't be surprised."

"God, that's gorgeous," Mitchie said as she nudged Ella's shoulder. "And it's about _you_."

"Oh my God, I love him," Ella said as she sighed happily. "So much."

"We couldn't tell," Caitlyn said with a knowing smirk.

"Does anyone have a piece of paper?" Ella asked.

"Gotcha covered," Mitchie said as she pulled a piece out of her songwriting book.

Ella quickly scribbled something down and handed the paper to Marlene. "Give that to him after he reads the other note and opens the present, please?"

"Will do," Marlene said as she looked down at her watch. "I'm off to give this to him. T-minus twenty five minutes until the ceremony, ladies. Do your final touch ups now."

Marlene left the girls' cabin and didn't bother knocking when she reached the boys' cabin.

"I come bearing a present from the bride for the groom," She announced loudly as she handed Nate the small box and note card.

Nate smiled softly at the box and tore the paper. His eyes widened at the sight of a very old and thin cardboard box. He lifted the lid and pulled the object out of the box gingerly. It was a pen. A very _antique_ ballpoint pen.

"She said it used to belong to her grandfather," Marlene told him.

He carefully placed the pen back in the box and opened the note card. She'd written out a note on the inside of the plain white card.

_Nate,_

_Hoping that no matter where you are or whether I'm with you, you'll know how much I love you when you use this pen._

_Love you._

"And," Marlene said as she handed him a folded up piece of paper. "She gave me this after she listened to your _beautiful_ song."

He eagerly took the paper from Marlene and unfolded it.

_You are the most wonderful and amazing man in the world. I just wanted you to know that, and I hope you use that pen. I found it in my grandfather's old things at my mom's the other day and thought of you. Maybe that pen will write more breathtaking words like the ones in that song I just heard. I love you, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Never doubt that. Ever._

_Forever yours,_

_Ella_

Nate smiled softly and took several deep breaths as he felt his eyes begin to water. How was he ever going to be away from her for three months? He closed his eyes and pushed the thought aside. He was determined not to think about that for a while. Today was about celebrating their future and letting everyone know how _committed_ to each other they 's what he needed to focus on.

There was barking and scratching at the screen door and Nate looked up. He knew exactly who that was. The door opened and Maggie came bounding in with Mr. Gray behind her. She immediately ran to Nate and jumped into his lap. Nate quickly closed the box the pen came in and packed it safely away in his bag before embracing Maggie.

"_You_ are going to get dog hair all over my tux," Nate said with a chuckle as he scratched behind Maggie's ears.

"Don't worry," Marlene said. "I have one of those lint removers in my bag. We're good to go."

Maggie yapped happily as if she agreed with Marlene and then wiggled in Nate's arms to try and lick his chin.

Nate laughed and held the puppy away from him. "You're in a good mood today, Mags."

"Oh!" Marlene said as she looked around the cabin. "Brown, I left my bag in here. Where is it?"

Brown immediately pulled the bag out from behind one of the bunks and handed it to her. She kissed his lips quickly before she began rummaging through her bag.

"I have Maggie's collar for today," Marlene said as she pulled the collar from her purse. "There's a little pillow and fake ring box glued to it and everything. It's adorable, and bright pink just like Ella wanted."

Nate took the collar from her and put it around Maggie's neck. He removed her regular collar and handed that to his dad. "Could you put that in her kennel so it doesn't get left behind?"

Mr. Gray nodded. "No problem, son."

Maggie rubbed at the collar with her paw. It was bigger and thicker than her normal collar, and she wasn't used to it. Marlene handed Nate the matching leash and he hooked it onto the collar. Ally would be able to walk Maggie down the aisle easily. They'd been working with Maggie on not tugging when she was on a leash, and they'd specifically had Ally, the flower girl, practice walking Maggie a couple of times this weekend.

Marlene reached out for the leash. "I'll take the adorable puppy." She said as she reached inside her purse and handed him the lint roller. She looked down at her watch. "And you take this and get all the dog hair off of your jacket. I'll take Maggie to the little flower girl and have the photographer take a few adorable photos. T-minus fifteen minutes, folks. Get ready to take your places."

Marlene took Maggie to the flower girl and the photographer and took a few pictures and then ran to get Brown and Nate in place at the end of the pier. She gave both men one last once over with the lint roller just to be safe before heading toward the girls' cabin. She walked in the door and smiled brightly. "It's time, ladies. The tent is all set up for the bridal party to wait in. We want to keep that dress a mystery for as long as possible."

"All the guests are here?" Ella asked.

"Every chair is filled. Now come on, lady!" Marlene said excitedly. "You're getting married in t-minus five minutes!"

The girls all squealed before Marlene led them to the tent at the back of their makeshift outdoor chapel. The all lined up with their groomsmen and Ella smiled at Tyler who was waiting patiently for her.

"You ready for this?" He asked.

"Absolutely," Ella answered as Marlene handed her the bridal bouquet and she linked her arm through Tyler's. "Never been more ready for anything in my life."


	24. Mr & Mrs Nate Gray

**A/N: **Here we are. The LAST chapter. This is the final bit of "Count On Me". Well, technically anyway. I'm thinking about doing a three shot epilogue type thing and posting it separately. One chapter for each couple. And I'm also thinking about doing a companion story for Marlene and Brown. It would take place during Count On Me but would be Marlene's side of the story.

Let me know what you guys think about those. I'd like to know if you'd be interested in reading them. :)

Happy Reading!

And thank you all for sticking with me and this story! You guys are AWESOME.

angellwings

* * *

Chapter 24: Mr. & Mrs. Nate Gray

* * *

Pachelbel's Canon in D Major began to play and the bridesmaid's made their way down the aisle. Ella couldn't see outside of the tent that Marlene had set up for them to take refuge in. She said that the element of surprise was one of the most important things for the bride and her dress. The girls looked beautiful in their shimmery gold dresses and Ella hoped they didn't think _her_ bridesmaids' dresses were horrible. She'd never really asked them.

Dana turned and winked at Ella before she left the tent and headed down the aisle on the pier. Marlene handed Ella her bouquet and did one last circle around her to straighten out her dress. She stopped when she made her way back to stand in front of Ella. She smiled brightly at her.

"Okay, Ms. Pador," Marlene said with a wink. "Last time anyone's gonna call you that, by the way. Take a deep breath, and smile. Cause it's almost your turn."

"Oh God," Ella said with an anxious gulp.

Tyler chuckled and squeezed her arm. "It'll be fine, sis. Trust me."

Ella smiled at him. "No, no. It's not that, it's…I'm an _adult_. I—I just…this is the start of my _own_ family, you know? I'm _excited_."

Marlene arranged Ella's hair so it fell across her shoulder and spread out her veil before grinning knowingly. "As you should be. Okay, time to get this show on the road, kids. I'm opening the tent now."

The song Ella had chosen for her processional started, and Ella knew this was it. She took a deep breath smiled brightly as Marlene pulled a rope that pulled back the flaps of the white tent and revealed her to the guests and the bridal party that waited on the pier. Her eyes immediately found Nate's and she chuckled lightly at the awestruck look on his face. His eyes were watery and she saw him swallow thickly before he smiled brighter than she'd _ever_ seen him smile.

Mitchie began to sing just as Tyler and Ella took their first step on the white linen cloth that covered the aisle.

"_I was meant to be by your side,_

_And I have waited here a long time,_

_For you to turn and notice me,_

_But now you're hear holding hands with me,_

_Walk me down the middle of the county fair,_

_Walk me down the middle like you don't care,_

_Walk me by the ferris wheel and make sure they all see,_

_Let the whole world know,_

_You belong to me."_

She watched Nate chuckle as he recognized the song. She'd played it for him frequently after they'd started dating. He'd kept their relationship out of the public eye for quite a while. It had been sweet, at first, because Ella knew he was doing that out of concern for her. But Ella wanted everyone to know, and so she'd played this song almost non-stop with the hopes that he'd take the hint. He did. But over the last few weeks, this song had come to mean so much more than that. She'd found herself listening to it more and more. It just seemed to _fit_. She turned her attention back to Nate and the song as she and Tyler came closer to their makeshift altar.

"…_I may not be the prettiest girl around,_

_But I sure am a sight for sore, sore eyes._

_Walk me down the middle of main street,_

_Walk me down where the whole town will be,_

_I don't need no parade, _

_But make sure they all see._

_Let the whole word know you belong to me._

_I'd walk through fire for you,_

_Walk through barbed wire for you,_

_I'd walk for miles, it's true,_

_Just to be with you…"_

They reached Nate and the minister just as the song ended.

"Who gives this woman to this man in marriage?" The minister asked Tyler with a warm smile.

"My mother and I," Tyler said with a nod. He leaned in and kissed Ella's cheek and whispered to her. "So proud of you, Ellie."

Nate met them halfway and Tyler placed Ella's hand in Nate's before giving Nate a look that clearly said "hurt her and I hurt you" and turned to go sit next to his mother. Ella blushed and smiled in amusement as she watched Tyler walk away. She turned back to Nate and could immediately feel her eyes begin to water.

"Hi," He said simply.

She sniffled softly and chuckled. "Hi."

"You're gorgeous," Nate whispered to her as he led her to stand in front of the minister.

She blushed. "You look pretty handsome yourself."

Dana approached and took Ella's bouquet from her before Nate and Ella turned to face the minister so the ceremony could begin.

"Family and treasured friends," The minister began. "We're here today to celebrate the union of Nathaniel Joshua Gray and Ella Billie Pador in marriage. Through their time together, they have come to realize that their personal dreams, hopes, and goals are more attainable and more meaningful through the combined effort and mutual support provided in love, commitment, and family; and so they have decided to live together as husband and wife. In his novel, Nicholas Nickelby, Charles Dickens once wrote: 'Come, let's be a comfortable couple and take care of each other! How glad we shall be, that we have somebody we are fond of always, to talk to and sit with.' This, to me, is the core of a good marriage, and it is something that I'm sure you've all seen between Nate and Ella. I also believe that, as American Journalist Mignon McLaughlin wrote, 'A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.' I have no doubt that these two have already discovered this on their journey to this moment. And today should be a celebration of this very same kind of commitment that they have decided to make to each other. And now, Nate and Ella, have each written their own vows that they wish to express to each other."

As they had previously discussed Ella was going to go first. Dana handed Ella her cheat sheet and Ella took fortifying breath before she spoke. She was already close to tears and the ceremony had _just_ started.

"Nate," Ella said slowly with a warm smile. "The first time I met you, you were a moody thirteen year old with a guitar and I was fairly certain you wanted nothing to do with me, and that you would forget me, even if I was your first kiss. But here we are _eleven_ years later, and I _know_ you're all I'll ever need. I'm promising you now in front of everyone we care about that _that_ will always be true. You are all I'll ever need and all I'll ever want and I want to spend the rest of our lives proving that to you. No matter what I promise that you can count on me to be there…through _anything_. I love you."

Ella's eyes watered and as if Nate just couldn't resist he brought the back of one of her hands to his lips and kissed it. He held both of her hands as he spoke. He winked at her. "I love you too. You were my first kiss, and _maybe_ at the time I thought you were odd and more than a little frustrating, but I _never once_ forgot you. You don't seem to realize how truly _unforgettable_ you are, and that modest is one of the things I love the most about you. I want to be the one _constant_ person who's always there and who proves to you, now and forever, that you will _never_ be forgotten. We've been through a lot together, and _I_ want to promise you that we will continue to go through a lot. I can't promise that it will be easy or that it will all be good, but I can promise that we'll face it together. It's _just _like our song, you can _count on me_ because I can count on you. That's not just a promise, Ells, that's an _oath_."

Ella had given up on trying not to cry, and emotional tears were now freely falling across her cheeks. Nate's eyes glistened with unshed tears as he smiled at her and squeezed both of her hands.

"And now it's time to exchange the rings," The minister said once he was sure they were finished. Dana and Brown both handed the rings over to the bride and groom. The minister was about to speak when a small bark could be heard from the right side area where the guests were seated. Both Nate and Ella grinned knowingly and glanced over at Maggie in amusement. Mrs. Gray picked the puppy up and set her in her lap to calm her down.

"Maggie had to get her say in too," Ella said as she addressed their guests with a chuckle before she nodded for the minister to continue.

"You have for each other a golden ring. This most precious of metals symbolizes that love is the most precious element in your life together. The ring has no beginning and no ending, which symbolizes that the love between you will never cease. You place these rings upon each other's fingers as a visible sign of the vows which, this day, have made you husband and wife."

Nate and Ella knew what to do from here on out. Nate slid Ella's ring onto her finger in front of her to other rings. Now Ella had a stack of three rings on her left ring finger. Nate took a deep contented breath before he ran his thumb across the rings and spoke. "With this ring I thee wed."

Ella took one slow look at her own hand before grabbing Nate's and putting the plan golden band on his left ring finger eagerly. "With this ring I thee wed."

"Do you, Ella Billie Pador, take Nathaniel to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Ella said hurriedly with a bright smile and _no_ hesitation.

"And do you, Nathaniel Joshua Gray, take Ella to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Nate beamed at Ella and nodded enthusiastically. "I do."

"Then by the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

"Don't mind if I do," Nate said with a wink and a smirk before he leaned forward and gently captured Ella's lips with his own. Ella threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Nate smiled against her lips as his hands went around her waist and he kissed her for a second time.

The minister chuckled as they finally pulled apart. They turned to face their guests as the minister spoke up again. "Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, I present to you for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Nate Gray."

The guests clapped and music immediately started. Dana handed Ella her bouquet as Shane began to sing. Ella gasped and smiled brightly as she recognized the song. Nate had performed a cover of it for her at a Connect Three concert last year. She leaned up on her toes and kissed his cheek.

"_I loved you since the very first day,  
When I caught you looking my way.  
I smiled and just knew it,  
And up until you came along.  
No one ever heard my song,  
Now it's climbing with a bullet._

_It's nice to have someone so honestly devoted,_  
_But when it's said and done, girl I hope you know that."_

Nate pulled the back of her hand to his lips once more and kissed it gently before the song continued.

"_The traveling, the singing, it don't mean nothing without you.  
The fast cars, the guitars, they are all just second to this life.  
this love that you and I've been dreaming of for so long,  
Would all be as good as gone without you."__  
_

Nate sang along in her ear and Ella blushed and smiled brightly as they walked. Nate's mother gave Ella a quick hug as they passed her and Ella was shocked when her own mother stepped forward and gave Nate a hug and a very short kiss on the cheek. Lauren Do winked at Ella and returned to her seat next to Tyler. Once the shock had passed Ella could hear Shane singing once again.

"…_And people that I barely knew,  
They love me cause I'm part of you.  
Man, it's tough to figure._

_How two souls could be miles from one another,_  
_But still you and me somehow found each other._

_The traveling, the singing, it don't mean nothing without you._  
_The fast cars, the guitars, they are all just second to this life._  
_This love that you and I've been dreaming of for so long,_  
_Would all be as good as gone without you."_

Marlene immediately directed them to the outdoor stage for pictures. As the photographer took his position, Nate leaned down to whisper in Ella's ear. "We did it. We're _married_."

Ella squealed excitedly and wrapped her arms around his neck again. She kissed him deeply and then pulled back. "I'm Mrs. Nate Gray! Oh, I almost can't believe we're actually officially _finally_ married!"

He laughed and pulled her close. "No more stressful wedding stuff. Thank God."

Ella smacked his shoulder. "It wasn't _that_ bad."

"You say that _now_," Nate told her. "But about a week ago you would've agreed with me."

"Alright, kids," Marlene said. "Just a few more photos with the bride and groom, the family, and _both_ sides of the wedding party and then you can head to your reception."

Nate and Ella exchanged flirty smiles before he placed a quick gentle kiss on Ella's neck before they were posed for their wedding photos.

"Anyone else willing to bypass photos for the party?" Nate asked with a smirk.

Ella rolled her eyes and pinched his side. "We're _paying_ this photographer. He's taking photos, mister."

* * *

Finally they finished with the photos and the bridal party was introduced to the guests waiting inside the Mess Hall. The bridal party was seated at their own table at the front of the room with Nate and Ella seated at the very center of the table. They were served first before the rest of the guests. The food was delicious. Connie had outdone herself, and once everyone was close to finished with their meals Brown stood up and moved to stand in between Nate and Ella.

"Well, kids," Brown said with a warm smile. "You made it. The ceremony is over and you're officially married. This is the start of your very own grown up adventure. Which I can't really speak to myself, I've yet to officially grow up. At least that's what my sister says."

"And you know it's true," Vicky said loudly from her seat with a chuckle.

"But," Brown said with a light laugh. "I've watched the both of you grow up. I met Ella when she was just barely a teenager. She walked into my camp as a girl who'd clearly faced a little too much loneliness and ridicule, and yet she always had this positive spirit. It was hard to be upset when someone wearing so many sequins is around."

Ella chuckled. "Again with the sequins. Did I really wear _that_ many of them?"

Nate chose to say nothing and kissed Ella's temple with a grin. Their friends and family chuckled at them as Brown continued.

"But," he said. "I am not at all surprised by the woman she has become nor am I surprised by how well she suits Nate. Nate has always possessed a certain intensity that usually gets him lumped into the broody and grumpy category, but those of us who know him well know that there's a lighthearted side buried under there somewhere. Ella brings that out in him and _he_, in turn, grounds her occasional lack of focus. They fit together like the last two remaining pieces of a puzzle. Ella is Nate's greatest adventure and Nate is the stability she's always longed for. They're the balance the other needed. To watch the two of them grow, separately and together, has been one of the greatest joys of my life, and I wish them nothing but a life of never ending faith and love." Brown raised his glass to them. "Congrats, you two. I love you both."

Ella immediately stood and hugged Brown tightly. She kissed his cheek and then handed Brown over to Nate. Nate and Brown hugged before Brown returned to his seat.

Dana stood from her seat next to Ella. "No way I'm gonna top that, but the maid of honor is required to give a speech." Dana chuckled along with the room before she spoke again. "I'm sure all of you know how I came to be a part of this group, and for those of you who don't…I'm Nate's ex-girlfriend."

There were a few awkward glances and raised eye brows, but Dana just laughed. "Yes, I know. It's a situation that _should_ be awkward, but it didn't take long for Nate and I to realize we were better off as friends. And when we did, Ella was totally there for me. She never gave me a moment to feel awkward or out of place. She _always_ made sure to include me. In fact, _she_ was the one who introduced me to my husband. I was also clued into the seemingly never ending 'Natella' saga through the years. And even when _they_ thought it was impossible _I_ knew it wasn't. They were too perfect to be apart. It was just a matter of time before they ended up _exactly_ where they are now."

Dana lifted her glass and reached out to hold Ella's hand. She gave it a squeeze before she spoke again. "To Nate and Ella." She winked at Nate. "May you always be '_Inseperable'_."

Ella stood again and gave Dana a long hug. "That was perfect."

"Okay," Marlene announced. "If the bride and groom will meet the photographer at the cake we'll start passing out pieces of Connie's masterpiece."

Connie laughed and shook her head at Marlene. "You're exaggerating."

Nate and Ella had their pictures taken while cutting the cake and feeding it to each other. Despite the cheering Nate resisted shoving cake in Ella's face. He knew her too well for that. He did, however, rub a bit of icing across her face. Ella, in return, smeared just a little bit of cake across Nate's chin which he got her back for by giving her a kiss and rubbing it across _her_ chin as well. After Nate and Ella had enjoyed their cake they had their first dance as man and wife to Michael Bublé's "Everything." They danced very closely and shared gentle kisses often. Once that dance was over it was Tyler's turn to dance with the bride. He'd picked the song and chosen Colbie Caillat's "Tailor Made" for them to dance to. This dance was goofy and involved highly uncoordinated moves on Tyler's part and _lots _of laughter. Off to the side Lauren had asked to dance with Nate.

"So," Lauren said to a highly nervous Nate. "Do you remember that first dinner when I said you, at the very least, had my respect?"

"Yes," Nate said slowly.

"Well, upon further review and after seeing the two of you together I've decided you have my _approval_ as well. I see what everyone else sees now. There's this perfect balance of similarities and differences between the two of you that gives you a strong foundation that most couples don't have. It's beautiful." Lauren told him with a kind smile. "And _don't_ listen to Van. He's an idiot. _You_ are nothing like him. _You_ have priorities and care about people other than yourself. That's something Van's never accomplished."

"Thank you, Ms. Do," Nate said gratefully. "Coming from you that means a lot."

"Please," She said as the song ended. "Call me Lauren."

The next dance was between Nate and Vicky Gray. Nate had let her pick the song and she'd chosen "You'll be in My Heart" from Disney's _Tarzan_. Jeff Gray had asked Ella to dance and they'd joined them by the second verse. Nate and Vicky appeared to be having a very intense conversation. Ella had no doubt that she was bringing up memories from his childhood and giving him excellent advice.

Jeff cleared his throat. "Do you remember the first time we met?"

Ella's brow furrowed. "It was Parents' Day, my first summer, wasn't it?"

Jeff chuckled. "No. It was the day Vicky and I dropped the boys off. You were trying to drag a huge pink suitcase to your cabin. I tried to get one of my boys to help you but they weren't quite at the age where they cared enough about girls to go out of their way for them. So, _I_ helped you."

Ella looked thoughtful for a moment and then grinned. "Wait, I do remember that! You knew who my dad was. You're the one that said you'd make sure Brown looked out for me."

"Yes, and do you know why I said that?" He asked.

Ella shook her head. "No. I mean I always assumed it was because dad was…well _dad_."

"It was because I could tell your father wasn't very _present_ in your life. When you have your own kids you learn to read the signs. _And_ I knew some kids might be jealous of you. I wanted to make sure you were treated fairly."

"So, you've been looking out for me for longer than I realized, huh?" Ella asked with a warm smile.

"I suppose so," he said with a wink.

Ella stopped dancing and gave Mr. Gray a big hug. She kissed his cheek. "I hope, some day, that Nate and I will be as good and as you and Vicky are at parenting."

"You will be," Jeff said with a smile. "I have no doubt."

After the dances Ella threw her bouquet (which was caught by Tess) and Nate threw Ella's garter (which was caught by Luke.) Then the dance floor was opened to the guests and Nate and Ella got to mingle. After a handful of guests left, Nate and Ella decided it was time they leave as well. The groomsmen had decked out one of the golf carts with old cans, shaving cream, and toilet paper. Nate and Ella took the golf cart up to the secluded cabin Brown saved for special celebrity guests. It was the nicest cabin on the property. It was even air conditioned.

Ella was surprised by just how nice it was. There was a king sized bed, a very large bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub, rain shower, and kitchenette. She moved to step through the front door but Nate pulled her back before she could.

"If you insist on keeping these wedding traditions," He said with a smirk. "Then we'd better do it right."

"What, in the world, do you mean by—"

Ella cut her sentence off with a surprised yelp as Nate picked her up bridal style. She chuckled and gathered up the bottom of her dress.

"Oh, I see."

"I _have_ to carry the bride across the threshold, don't I?" Nate asked with a wink. He stepped across the threshold and then set Ella down on her feet.

She didn't let go of Nate's neck. Instead she turned to face him and used her arms around his neck to balance herself as she slipped off her glittery gold pumps. Her height shrunk nearly four inches and Nate laughed.

"In those things you were _almost_ as tall as me, and _I'm_ short for a guy anyway."

She smacked his shoulder. "Hush."

"So," Nate said with a bright smile. "The day is done."

Ella grinned and nodded. "The wedding is over."

"And _we're_ married."

Ella beamed at him. "Finally."

"Finally," he repeated as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Does this mean I get to find out where we're going on our honeymoon now?" Ella asked eagerly.

"Ella," Nate said sternly.

She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. "Please? I've been pretty patient, I think."

"Fine," Nate said with a good humored sigh. "I suppose since the craziness is _over_ and we leave tomorrow I can tell you."

Ella bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet. "Yay! Where?"

"Well, you love the beach right?"

"Yes," She answered expectantly.

"How do you feel about a secluded tropical island in Thailand?" Nate asked with a knowing smirk.

Ella's eyes widened. "Thailand?"

"A luxury resort on an island in Thailand. We have our own private pool, Jacuzzi, and beach access."

"Oh. My. God. Are you serious?" Ella exclaimed.

"Yes," Nate answered. "How does that sound?"

"Nate," Ella said breathlessly.

"Yes?"

"Oh God, I love you," Ella said just before she jumped and smothered his lips with hers.

He stumbled backward into the wall as her weight hit him and he struggled to lift her up and balance himself. Ella bit down gently on Nate's bottom lip and he groaned. He finally managed to lift her and she immediately wrapped her legs around his waist. Ella kissed along Nate's jaw as he directed them toward the bed. As soon as he'd placed Ella on the bed his lips met hers again. He forced her lips apart with his tongue and wasted no time as he immediately began to explore every crevice of her mouth with his tongue. Ella whimpered into his mouth and he quickly backed her up even further on the mattress.

He felt her hands begin to roam as they slipped under his tuxedo jacket. He pulled his mouth away from hers to peel off his jacket and tie and toss them aside.

"I take it you approve of the honeymoon then?" he asked with a grin.

"Shut up and kiss me, Nathaniel," Ella said with a chuckle.

"Anything you want, Mrs. Gray."


End file.
